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Courage is rewarded - plant strengthening instead of pesticides

Since January 2019, the Steinhilber nursery in Neustadt an der Waldnaab in Bavaria has been working consistently without pesticides. Changes in crop management, the use of beneficial organisms and the Multikraft biostimulant are crucial to success.

Professional

3 minutes reading time

It is often the small moments in life that trigger a big change. For the Steinhilber nursery, this trigger - as is so often the case with sustainability issues - was their own children. Master gardener Reinhard Steinhilber remembers: ‘Our children grew up in the family business. And because small children touch everything, including the plants in the greenhouse, the moment came when I had to say: ‘Don't touch, the plants are all freshly sprayed’!’ Back then, harmful pesticides were still being used. ‘We have to get away from chemicals,’ was his firm decision.
Today, plants as well as customers and employees benefit from chemical-free production. Master gardener Reinhard Steinhilber and business economist Christa Steinhilber produce a wide range of seasonal plants in energy-efficient greenhouses on around 8,000 square metres in a resource-conserving manner. They use rainwater for irrigation and have been using beneficial organisms for pest control for years.

It pays off

Switching to pesticide-free cultivation was not easy at first. It took time, money and, above all, courage. "We keep our crops cooler and have more production space for the plants. Thanks to the good cooperation with Multikraft, we have continuously adapted the dosages to our needs. So the changeover went well. In the end, the changeover paid for itself through better prices and the satisfaction of our employees and customers,’ says Reinhard Steinhilber.

Soil and leaf reinforcement

One key to success lies in strengthening the soil and foliage of the plants. Young plants are given a welcome cocktail with Multikraft biostimulants. The irrigation water permanently contains MK Soil and Terrafert Soil. The weekly leaf strengthening is carried out with MK Leaf and Terrafert Leaf as basic components. The plant strengthening agents from Multikraft are used in different doses for all crops. "As a result, the upper leaf layer of the plants is stronger and their flowering colour is more intense. We have also removed all chemical stunting agents from the farm,’ reports Reinhard Steinhilber happily.

Healthier plants, less work

The results speak for themselves: the plants are healthier and the infestation pressure with aphids is significantly lower, as is rot formation. "Each plant is strengthened so that an infestation doesn't occur in the first place. The changeover also pays for itself because we no longer have to deal with plucking yellow leaves,’ explains Reinhard Steinhilber: ’It's a lesson if a crop is not saleable during the changeover phase. We have remained consistent and that's how you manage it. The most important thing is that the entire company supports the changeover. We are 100% behind it and it's worth it."
The Steinhilber nursery is impressive proof that courage and determination are rewarded. Their example shows that pesticide-free cultivation is not only ecologically sensible, but can also be economically successful.

Growing ornamental plants and pot herbs

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