What are the worst pests and diseases on your plot?

[mothhawk]

I don't suffer much from pests, probably because everything is crowded together and intertwined so the pests can't find their target plants. The only things I grow by themselves are brassicas - kale and kohl rabi, and I protect them under micromesh, otherwise they get smothered in whitefly and flea beetles and caterpillars.
I get some mildew, but a weekly foliar feed of seaweed solution keeps it at bay, and the rinsings from milk bottles.

[Greenleaves]

Like everyone else I have all the normal pests but touch wood apart from a small amount of rust on garlic fairly disease free. This year however I have countless earwigs all waiting for my sweetcorn no doubt.

[Dorothy rouse]

Pigeons, they sit up in the trees watching what we are planting, next would be squirrels, they like to steal our strawberries and also eat all the walnuts.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Had rust on my garlic for the first time ever this year. Other than that, it's been remarkably trouble free - so far. Last year, I had my exhibition onions stolen and some of my long leeks cut at ground level and the tops also cut off. There have been raids on our allotment site in the last couple of weeks but thankfully my plot unaffected. Be good if GYO could research and print what we can and can't do within the law to protect our produce.

[Jeanied]

I have to say my worst pests are flea beetles and slugs/ snails - the first for ruining my radishes and rocket and the second for grazing off my baby carrot seedlings.

[ancee]

flea beetles - they sound horrible! Not come across them - yet ew

[stubedo]

Worst pest was cats but that's sorted now by netting all my beds next its slugs and snails I use organic pellets, egg shells, bran and the odd beer trap but would love something that really stops them in their tracks.

all the above you mentioned did almost nothing for my slug problem, but nematoads gets rid of most slugs in my garden, applied once a month.....

Stu

[kitchengardener]

Carrot fly.... makes me want to cry. all my carrots have had to be dug up and disposed of. Planted them higher (pot over half meter) and still noticed a congrigation of flies on the soil :-( bad times

[Penellype]

Carrot fly.... makes me want to cry. all my carrots have had to be dug up and disposed of. Planted them higher (pot over half meter) and still noticed a congrigation of flies on the soil :-( bad times

Cover them with veggiemesh. The flies can't get through it so they can't lay their eggs on the nearby soil.

[Bill HH]

Carrot fly.... makes me want to cry. all my carrots have had to be dug up and disposed of. Planted them higher (pot over half meter) and still noticed a congrigation of flies on the soil :-( bad times

This myth about carrot flies flying low is.. well a myth. Mesh is the only protection I know of that works, and it has to be all over not just a perimeter fence.

[bearded bloke]

Mine would be the evil Allium Leaf Miner

[Canny Grower]

Slugs and snails are the worst I've ever known this year. On my third attempt to grow lettuce I've resorted to using slug pellets for the first time ever, with netting over the bed in the hope that I can avoid poisoning any birds.

[Speed Gardener]

As usual, this year's public enemy number one is bindweed - it's everywhere! It got an early start a few years ago after a mild winter and I just can't keep on top of it! I pulled a bit the other day and it was like a tributary of the Amazon, by the time I'd finished, the "rope" was over an inch thick!
As for pests, moles are a big problem, seemingly only on my plot..I keep thinking of Jasper Carrot, no where's my office chair and shotgun?!

[Lucy Halsall]

last votes by midday today please!

Hi everyone, many thanks indeed for your input to this thread, I've totted up the mentions and so far these are your top pest/disease gripes on the plot:

slugs
allium rust
powdery mildew
flea beetle
tom/pot blight
aphids
caterpillars
pigeons
pea and bean weevil
rodents
cats
ants
birds
moles
carrot fly

Are there any more votes this morning? I've got to pop the feature together this afternoon so if I could get any more comments by midday I'd be really grateful.

Let's thwart these blighters!!!

Lucy

[veggiechicken]

Squirrels are a pest here. Not only do they pinch the strawberries and other fruit but they bury acorns and hazel nuts everywhere, even in the greenhouse! Come springtime, I'm weeding out baby trees from the veg beds.