We talk a lot about pests in the garden but really they are only doing what comes naturally when they damage our plants. This should really be encouraging us to live alongside our perceived pests. For years chemicals were the go to for pest control but as we realise the harm chemicals do to the environment and to beneficial insects we have to stop using them. The biggest thing I would encourage you to do is to know your garden and constantly look at your plants. This way you can see a problem as soon as it starts and it can be so much easier to deal with.
There are lots of small actions you can take to try to build a more sustainable approach to growing.
Building habitats - Encourage and attract natural predators such as lacewings, butterflies and ladybirds by providing shelter and habitats for them. Bug hotels built from hollow stems, straw and leaves are helpful. Piles of old logs and bits of wood in shady corners provide great shelter over winter. Areas of weeds can provide caterpillar food for butterflies and just general shelter for small mammals.
Companion planting- Use strong-smelling plants such as marigolds planted next to tomatoes to help confuse the pest’s smell-based navigation system. Marigolds will also attract parasitic wasps and hoverflies, the larvae will devour aphids. ‘Sacrificial’ plants next to the ones you want to keep can help reduce damage. Nasturtiums next to cabbages help distract the cabbage white butterflies.
Barriers- Fleece or enviromesh will protect brassicas from caterpillars and bird damage. It can also help to keep out carrot fly and cabbage root fly but the material needs to be well secured at all the edges.
Crop rotation- Grow crops in different locations each year. Group crops into: alliums (onion, leek, garlic), brassicas (cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, radish), potatoes (also include peppers and tomatoes in this), legumes (peas and beans) and roots (carrot, celeriac, parsnips, Florence fennel) and rotate them each growing season to a different part of the plot.
Physical removal- Often this is the simplest solution. If you see an infestation of aphids squash them with your fingers. Wear gloves if you are squeamish.
Yellow Sticky traps-Useful to hang in the greenhouse if whitefly are a problem. They help to keep the numbers down.
Often, we have to just accept some crop damage and learn to live with a bit of disfigurement. Don’t expect your crops to look like the ones you buy in the Supermarket!
Biological control- This is a very effective way of controlling pests naturally. You can buy the natural predator of a pest and apply it to the crop. The predator then kills off the pest colony. The predator will die off too though when the food source has gone. It can be expensive and there will always be environmental factors to consider like temperature and moisture when using biological control.
Diseases are hard to control by physical means other than removing as much diseased material as you can. The disease only becomes obvious after it has caused damage and by then it is often too late so growing a happy healthy plant is the best form of defence. Don’t let plants struggle or, like us, they are far more prone to disease. Fungal diseases are spread by tiny fungal spores that like wind and water to thrive.
Home Remedies to Try
(With most of these they are not scientifically proven so always try them out a bit before you use them on the main crop)
Milk Spray- Powdery Mildew- Use 1 part milk to 2 parts water. This may give some control but is best used early in the season on a weekly basis.
Baking soda Spray- Powdery Mildew – 1 tbsp baking soda, 1 tbsp veg oil, 1 tsp liquid soap (to help disperse the spray) mixed in 4 litres of water. Try alternating the milk solution with the baking soda each week. Spray in the morning ideally.
Garlic Spray- Slugs, aphids and many other pests. Take 2 bulbs of garlic and boil them up in 2 litres of water. Squash it all down and then strain the bits out. It smells! Use the concentrate diluted in water, approx. 2 tbsp in 1 litre of water. When you look at recipes for this there is a big variation on the dilution rate so best to try it out for yourself. Apply every few days to the leaves.
Don’t forget the Useful Beasties.
Every creature has a purpose, even slugs. They are very good at working on and breaking down organic material. Try not to overdo the garden tidying. Hoverflies can look like wasps but are so beneficial for pollination and are natural predators for aphids.
