Fruit set
Episode 7: Pests, disease & plant health
“Why is that pest there?”
Immunity as an outcome of plant health, and what the pest is trying to tell you before you reach for the spray.
The big idea
Ask why first.
The usual answer is what to spray and when. Steve’s first question is why the pest turned up at all.
A pest is a message
Pests and disease aren’t just bad luck. They turn up most on plants that are out of balance, so a pest is often telling you something about the plant’s health before it tells you what to spray.
This episode treats immunity as an outcome of plant health: health first, and protection follows.
What’s inside
Four parts, about an hour.
Watch it in one sitting, or a part between jobs. Each one flows into the next.
After this one, you’ll…
- ask why a pest is there before you reach for the spray
- read pests and disease as a report on plant health
- trace soft, sappy growth back to nutrition
- 0–15 min
Why is that pest there?
Asking the question before reaching for the spray.
- 15–30 min
An open door
Soft growth, unbuilt nitrogen, and what draws a pest in.
- 30–45 min
Immunity is an outcome
Health first; protection follows.
- 45–60 min
Reading the signs
What pests and disease tell you about nutrition.
Take it further
Where this episode leads.
The course is the start. Each episode opens onto Steve’s talks, the learning hub, and his work on farms.
From the Plant’s Perspective
One plant, eight episodes.
Hear when episode one is out.
One note when it’s ready, and nothing else.