Organic pest prevention

[Sian Bunney]

Hello everyone!

For our May issue I'd like to know:
How do you like to protect your crops from pests using organic methods?

Let me know your thoughts!

Sian

[Guest]

nematodes for vine weevil.
debris netting for birds and cabbage white.
Beer traps for slugs
Veg oil and garlic spray for whitefly.
Companion planting, crop rotation and acceptance for every thing else.

[Penellype]

My main issues are slugs and snails, aphids, carrot fly, birds, caterpillars, vine weevils, cats and wasps.

Nematodes for vine weevils and slugs.
Copper tape, copper rings and copper impregnated matting for slugs and snails.
Fine insect mesh for carrot fly, caterpillars, birds and wasps
Fleece for birds (protecting onion sets) and cats.
"prikka strips" (strips of plastic with spikes on) laid on the beds to deter cats from digging.
Companion planting (nasturtiums) for aphids - I also enlist the services the local ladybird population by transporting any I find to areas of aphid infestation.

Wasps are a particular problem with perpetual strawberries, on which I can't use insect mesh because of the ongoing need for pollination. Last year they completely cleared the whole crop. I have recently acquired a "waspinator" which is a dummy wasps nest. Apparently if you hang it up near the area you want to remain wasp free, the wasps will keep away as it looks like a rival nest.

[Mr Bones]

Plastic bottle boinging about on a fishing rod to deter pigeons, curry powder to deter cats, foxes and hopefully allium leaf miner. Netting for carrot fly, butterflies and more pigeons.

[roitelet]

Insect houses especially in the tunnel to allow lacewings and ladybirds to over winter and then lay eggs which hatch and the larvae chomp their way through the aphids. No need for anything posh. I use kitchen roll tubes stuffed with straw or hollow sticks suspended from the center bar.

[ESBkevin]

Getting away from single crop rows or groups reduces the risk of attracting pests to large food sources, mix up the planting. Companion planting, neem oil, slug traps, nematodes, Silver foil/CDs and plastic bottle windmills as bird scarers but then birds eat pests too! Nets and fleece. Raised carrot beds. A big stick!

[Jammers27]

Excellent to read, will definitely look at getting nematodes as vine weevil are an issue.

I woke up this morning to find a cat has done it's business in my brand new, freshly composted Veg Trug. What other ways have people found to stop the blighters!
Thanks

[Lumpy]

Excellent to read, will definitely look at getting nematodes as vine weevil are an issue.

I woke up this morning to find a cat has done it's business in my brand new, freshly composted Veg Trug. What other ways have people found to stop the blighters!
Thanks

Round here they don't seem to like strong curry or chilli powder, black pepper, solar lights or our ancient dog!

As far as pests are concerned - head torch, bucket of VERY salty water and a pair of cooking tongs for slugs and snails, upturned orange skins, charity shop net curtains for cabbage whites etc, egg squashing duties etc

[Sian Bunney]

Thank you very much for your really interesting replies! There are some very inventive solutions here which I'm sure fellow GYO readers will love.

Sian

[Penellype]

Excellent to read, will definitely look at getting nematodes as vine weevil are an issue.

I woke up this morning to find a cat has done it's business in my brand new, freshly composted Veg Trug. What other ways have people found to stop the blighters!
Thanks

Cats can be a real pest and like nice soft soil or compost - it probably thinks your trug is a special king sized litter tray. I'd be inclined to cover it with fleece as that will stop them scratching in it.

I noticed the other day in the garden centre that they were selling something that is supposed to smell of "genuine lion dung". Not sure I'd want that in my garden, or how effective it is though!

[Guest]

Excellent to read, will definitely look at getting nematodes as vine weevil are an issue.

I woke up this morning to find a cat has done it's business in my brand new, freshly composted Veg Trug. What other ways have people found to stop the blighters!
Thanks

They love bare soil - cover it it won't stop it completely but should help reduce the issue. If you have seeds in cover with twiggy bits till they get growing

[rary]

I take some strawberry runners the previous year and put them in pots to place around the garden to attract vine weevil as they attack them before some other plants
Also place squares of black plastic at the corners of my veg. beds and check underneath them for flatworm and slugs then drop into salted water