How to grow resilient plants in 7 steps

This guide outlines 7 steps for enhancing plant resilience, ensuring thriving plants despite environmental stresses and reduced chemical interventions.

Step 1: Choose the right fertilizer (technology)

Choose a fertilizer preferably with a controlled release technology (CRF). By releasing nutrients in a controlled manner, nutrient leaching is minimized and availability to the plant is extended, enhancing plant strength and resilience.

Step 2: Improve the root system

Work on improving root development so that plants can better utilize nutrients, for example, by optimizing the physicochemical properties of your substrate. A substrate should be able to retain sufficient water but also be ‘airy’ enough and contain enough oxygen.

Step 3: Balance nutrition

Feed your plants a balanced nutritional ‘diet’, including nitrogen-rich foods, essential for growth, and carbon-rich sources that boost resilience. Also add vital nutrients like phosphate, potassium, calcium, iron, and manganese.

Step 4: Focus on microbes

Incorporate fungi and bacteria into the soil to increase nutrient availability to the plant.

Step 5: Add trace elements 

Utilize products with high carbon compounds. These are generally also rich in trace elements such as boron, molybdenum, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, and magnesium. These elements need to be present in small quantities to allow the crop to grow and function properly. Additionally, trace elements can help improve root development and thus plant resilience.

Recommendation:
Before applying any products, evaluate the beneficial fungi and bacteria already present in the soil. Activating fungi like Trichoderma and plant growth-promoting bacteria such as Pseudomonads or Bacillus species can significantly enhance resilience by making nutrients more accessible.

A well-developed root system enables plants to use available nutrients better.

Step 6: Crop protection and alternatives

Understand that while primarily used against pests and diseases, crop protection products also indirectly support root development and other vital plant processes. If discontinued, their beneficial effects cease as well. Be informed about these side effects to select suitable alternatives.

Step 7: Monitor the progress

Regularly monitor the impact of your chosen nutrition plan. Test the soil, root growth, and overall plant health to ensure the effectiveness of your methods and investments.