Question
Dear Mike,

A friend told me to pour a warm can of beer into all recently transplanted plants. He said, it would increase the chances of avoiding shock and promote root growth.
Do you know if this is accurate information or has my friend perhaps just had a few too many?

Answer
Christopher, this practice was made popular by Jerry Baker. You may have seen his ads on PBS marathons or even seen his books in the gardening section of bookstores. However, I personally am not an advocate of his methods.

He recommends using household items such as liquid soap, chewing tobacco, vinegar, shampoo, mouthwash, and beer (just to mention a few) to resolve issues with pests, weeds, and prevent disease.

When I first started gardening 25 years ago, I tried many of his suggestions. Except for the liquid soap solution, which will kill some insects on contact, most of them did not work.

What I found with the beer is that it does break up the soil, and the yeast is somewhat beneficial. But it also attracted slugs and other insects to the general area. It is also very expensive to maintain.

The best advice I can give is to ensure that your soil is well conditioned and comprised mainly with organic materials such as peat, aged manure, and compost. This practice alone will ensure that your plants will get all the nutrients they need. It will also provide a healthy climate meaning less disease and insects. In short, plants grown in fertile soil outflower and outproduce any other type of growing methods, including the use of synthetic fertilizers.

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike