DO YOUR PLANTS ATTRACT THE RIGHT INSECTS?

Plants need insects, simple fact. Unfortunately, the first thing that comes to mind when we see an insect on our plants is that it is there to eat it and then how do we kill it.

While a lot of insects are considered pests, there are also insects that are critical for survival of plants and also entire ecosystems.

Many insects are pollinators. They trade off sweet nectars for the dispersal of pollen to other flowers allowing for seeds to develop, ensuring the survival of these plant species. There are bees, wasps and flies that are specific pollinators, attracted to the nectar in the flower and while foraging the pollen sticks to their bodies to be then rubbed off when they fly to another flower.

Many of these pollinators are not too fussy about their source of nectar, but there are quite a few species of plants that rely on specific insects to pollinate them, meaning if these insects were to die off then so would those plant species that rely on them.

There are also a lot of insects known as predators because they eat other insects, particularly preying on those that are eating plants. These plant-eaters are known as herbivores, which are the leaf chewers and sapsuckers. These herbivores chew leaves or suck sap to feed off any available simple sugars normally meant for photosynthesis.

So how are all of these insects attracted to plants? Simple. It is known as signalling. Think of this like plants being beacons. In nature, plants produce complex compounds that signal these insects to let them know when they are needed for pollination or are under attack.

Simple sugars are basic types of compounds that plants make to use for photosynthesis and in a healthy plant are locked in the cells and not available for insects to feed off.

Unfortunately, fertilising with synthetic high nitrogen fertilisers or uncomposted manures feeds nitrates to the plant that stretches and damages cell walls, exposing the simple sugars to which herbivorous insects are attracted to.

Studies show that synthetic fertilisers change the signal put out by the plant to attract pollinators, and the pollinators do not detect the signal which attracts them.

When we spray pesticides around our plants to kill the pest insects, we are also killing off these beneficial insects the plants are relying on to survive. This can leave our plants more vulnerable to future insect attacks. Some pesticide sprays are systemic, meaning they travel through the sap of the plant, which damages the cell walls of the plants, exposing the simple sugars which then attracts more insects to come and eat the plant.

For the plant to build the more complex compounds that attract beneficial insects, there needs to be a broad spectrum of natural elements available in the soil or media.

To help plants generate the right signals Earthlife products add over 60 elements to the soil, which are essential building blocks for a multitude of compounds the plants can make to assist in healthy growth.

Added with over 30 species of beneficial soil microbes to make the elements available, these easy-to-use products give your plants the ability to work with nature and grow as part of a successful and healthy garden ecosystem.

Discover EarthLife’s range of products to help your plants thrive. Explore the range at the link in bio.