The concept of a “honey pot plant” is a strategy within integrated pest management that uses specific plants to manage insect populations naturally. This technique involves planting a sacrificial crop to draw pests away from more valuable plants or planting species that attract beneficial insects like predators and pollinators. By manipulating the garden ecosystem, gardeners can reduce reliance on chemical treatments. Successful implementation requires understanding the biological mechanisms and the specific horticultural needs of the chosen species.
Defining the Role of a Honey Pot Plant
A honey pot plant functions as a biological decoy, operating through two distinct ecological mechanisms to protect the main crop. The first mechanism, known as trap cropping, involves planting a species significantly more attractive to a target pest than the primary crop. Pests, driven by olfactory or visual cues, concentrate their feeding and reproductive efforts on this sacrificial plant. This works because many insects exhibit a strong preference for specific host plants, such as aphids preferring nasturtiums over nearby vegetables.
The second mechanism is attracting beneficial organisms. These plants, often flowering herbs or ornamentals, provide nectar, pollen, or shelter that attracts natural enemies like parasitic wasps, ladybugs, and hoverflies. Plants with small, shallow flowers, such as sweet alyssum or dill, are excellent landing platforms for tiny parasitoid wasps seeking out pests. The honey pot plant helps establish a local population of pest controllers that suppress insect outbreaks on surrounding plants.
Selecting the Right Trap Crop
Choosing the correct honey pot plant depends on accurately identifying the pest you intend to manage. The trap crop must be demonstrably more palatable or attractive to the target insect than the crop you are trying to protect. For example, planting sacrificial dill or borage can lure adult moths to lay eggs there instead of on tomato foliage, managing tomato hornworms.
For flea beetles on brassicas like kale or broccoli, radishes planted at the edge of the bed serve as an excellent trap. Radishes are in the same plant family (Brassicaceae) but are often preferred by the beetles. Another effective example is planting Blue Hubbard squash to attract squash bugs and squash vine borers away from zucchini.
Selecting a trap crop also involves practical considerations like growth habit and hardiness. Fast-growing annuals like radishes or collards are ideal because they establish quickly and can be planted in succession. The trap crop must thrive long enough to be available before the target pest’s peak activity.
Step-by-Step Installation and Initial Care
The installation process must be timed strategically so the honey pot plant is established and attractive before the main crop is vulnerable. A general guideline is to sow the trap crop seeds or transplants two to four weeks before the main crop is scheduled to go into the ground. This head start allows the sacrificial plant to be larger and more metabolically active, making it a stronger lure for incoming pests.
Site preparation should be tailored to the specific needs of the chosen plant. Most trap crops require well-draining soil and at least six hours of direct sunlight daily for robust growth. For instance, radishes require loose, loamy soil to develop quickly, while nasturtiums thrive in lean, poor soils.
Initial watering must be consistent to support germination and rapid growth, especially for quick-maturing plants like radishes. Fertilization of a sacrificial plant should be approached carefully. For example, avoiding high-nitrogen fertilizers on nasturtiums maintains their preference for poor soil, maximizing their attraction to aphids. The honey pot plant should be placed in a designated area, either bordering the main crop or intercropped in short rows, depending on the pest’s mobility.
Ongoing Management and Garden Integration
Once established, honey pot plants require routine monitoring to prevent the accumulated pest population from migrating. Check the sacrificial plants at least once a week, inspecting the undersides of leaves and growing tips where insects congregate. The system relies on sacrificing the trap crop before the pests complete their reproductive cycle and move on to the protected plants.
Strategic placement is an ongoing consideration based on the pest’s behavior. For low-mobility pests, perimeter planting 8 to 12 feet away creates a clear barrier. For highly mobile pests, intercropping short rows of the trap crop directly within the main planting area is more effective at interception. This scattered approach ensures the pest encounters the preferred plant immediately upon entering the space.
If a trap crop, such as Blue Hubbard squash for borers, becomes heavily infested, mechanical removal or targeted treatment is necessary. This may involve physically removing the most damaged leaves or applying a selective insecticidal soap only to the honey pot plants. Sequential planting of new trap crops every two to three weeks is often necessary to maintain a constant supply of young, attractive foliage throughout the growing season.