Nature as Pest Control

Several weeks ago, I noticed my kale was starting to show signs of pest damage. I was determined to let things run their course and refused to spray anything on my food source. Predictably, things got worse before they got better. The kale started to look like swiss cheese.

I could see the nasty little pests crawling all over the leaves. The kale was loaded with them. I continued to ride it out.

After a few weeks, I started to see predatory insects on the leaves. Gradually, there were fewer and fewer pests and corresponding holes. The new growth was lovely.

Kale is very bitter during the hot summer months. I did not plan on eating any of the greens until they got a good frost, which makes them much sweeter. So I simply pulled off the damaged growth and was left with beautiful greens and a stronger predatory insect population.