WELCOMING GARDEN FRIENDS & FOES
We share our gardens with a whole host of insects and invertebrates, and while it may be a bit of a challenge to think of common garden pests such as slugs and snails as 'friendly', our mindsets are changing as we understand the importance of supporting nature and encouraging wildlife. It doesn't change the fact that we don't want them devouring our newly planted seedlings overnight, or that we'd like to keep our hostas intact - it just needs a change of mindset and a different approach.
In week 2, we took a look at ways to 're-wild' your garden by bringing elements from the surrounding landscape into your garden, planting native species, adding water and encouraging all kinds of wildlife into an urban setting. If you'd like a recap, why not revisit those points.
Stop using chemicals
One of the most important things you can do is to move away from the use of harsh chemicals and start practising time-honoured organic methods. We took this step on our nursery a few years ago and our plants (and bees) couldn't be happier!
Chemical pesticides will provide fast results, but before reaching for the bottle, think about their longer term effects. Yes, you may kill those annoying caterpillars/aphids/slugs etc, but birds, frogs or hedgehogs could be eating those poisoned pests, and that can have a long term effect on their health.
A far better approach is to work with the wildlife in your garden - encouraging a range of species into your garden to help support the natural ecosystem. For example, switching over to an organic (or home-made) compost to feed your plants will help support invertebrates. The growth in their number will encourage more birds and hedgehogs to visit your garden - and these will act as natural pest controllers. It's all connected.
Introducing natural predators
There are lots of different methods you can use to combat pests naturally, but biological pest controls (introducing one organism to control another) can be really effective against if you're trying to target a certain problem.
For example, if vine weevils, leatherjackets, fungus (sciarid) fly, chafers or box tree caterpillars have gotten a foothold in your garden, you can use nematodes to help fight back. Nematodes are naturally occurring microscopic eelworms that are found in the soil. They are completely harmless to humans and pets, and by boosting their numbers, they'll help decrease the number of annoying pests in your garden.
Other fantastic biological pest controllers are ladybirds and their larvae. Introduce these natural predators into your garden and they'll make short work of the aphids and greenfly that are attacking your prized plants. Or, if red spider mites are causing trouble in the greenhouse, then bring in some predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis), and they'll help redress the balance.
Common garden pests that can be tackled organically
Aphids - These tiny sap-sucking insects often appear in large numbers and can cause damage to soft new growth. As soon as you spot them, squish them with your fingers, blast them off with a strong jet of water from the hose, or fill a spray mister with water, add a couple of drops of washing up liquid and douse them in that. Introducing natural predators (like ladybird larvae) or attracting birds will also help keep their numbers down.
Spider mites - A common pest on houseplants, spider mites can be controlled in the greenhouse by introducing some of their natural predators (Phytoseiulus persimilis). Completely harmless to your plants, these will munch away at the damaging pests, leaving your plants damage-free.
Caterpillars - if you can, pop on some gloves and pick them off by hand as soon as you see them. Otherwise hang up some bird feeders and encourage them to do the work for you. A relative new-comer, the box tree caterpillar can quickly strip the foliage from prized box plants. To target this pest, set pheromone traps for the adult moths to break the life cycle. They won't be able to mate, so the numbers in the next generation will be drastically reduced.
Vine weevils and leatherjackets - it's often the larvae that do most of the damage, and as they live underground, you usually won't know that you have these pests until the damage has been done. Nevertheless, to stop future generations doing even more harm, nematodes are usually effective natural predators, so water these into affected areas as soon as conditions allow. Adult vine weevils can also be picked off by hand at night when they start to feed on the leaves, and always check the roots of new plants for the brown-headed maggots before you plant - picking them off by hand if necessary.
Make wildlife feel welcome
This is perhaps the most obvious element of gardening consciously, but if you do your best to attract a wide range of wildlife into our garden, you'll have a built-in defence against many of the common garden pests. Place bird feeders close to large shrubs and keep them topped up regularly, and choose plants that offer different sizes of flowerhead to appeal to different types of bees and pollinators. Also, while we all want our gardens to look nice and neat, if you can leave a few piles of leaves and twigs in a corner, it will create a welcoming habitat for all those beneficial insects.
DETERRING SLUGS & SNAILS
Probably the most common (and annoying) pests in UK gardens, slugs and snails are voracious feeders, doing masses of damage in record-breaking time. There are however several different ways that you can protect your plants and keep their numbers in check without resorting to chemicals. Here are some tried and tested methods:
Pick them off by hand
They may be hard to find during the heat of the day, but if you go outside at night with a torch (ideally after it has rained), then they should be out in full force. If you don't want to kill them, collect them in a jar and take them somewhere that you can re-release them safely.
Make a garlic wash
Slugs and snails don't like garlic, so by making your own garlic drench, you can help keep them off your vulnerable plants. Place 2 bulbs of garlic in a pan with 2 litres of water and bring to the boil, and as they become tender, gently squish the cloves with a fork or potato masher to release all of their juices. Allow too cool and remove all the skins before pouring it into a bottle. When ready to use, mix 2 tablespoons of this concentrate to 5 litres of water and spray it on your plants every week - they may need a second application after heavy rain.
Set a beer trap
Drawn by the smell of yeast, they'll soon become dizzy and disorientated, eventually falling into the trap.
Create a physical barrier
Being soft-bodied creatures, slugs and snails find it difficult to move across jagged or rough surfaces. Therefore, surrounding your plants with a thick mulch of grit, sharp stones, crushed egg shells or even wool pellets will often send them packing.
Also, copper rings can be used to encircle pots or vulnerable plants. These are said to create a charge which deters slugs and snails by giving them a harmless, electric shock-like sensation each time they come into contact with it.
Make frogs and toads feel welcome
These creatures love to eat slugs and snails, so try to encourage them into your garden by building a pond and providing cool, damp spaces for them to shelter or hide.
Try companion planting
Many aromatic herbs (like lavender, rosemary, thyme or sage) will help repel slugs and snails, so if these are planted next to more vulnerable plants, they'll be less likely to be attacked.
Set some citrus traps
After you've squeezed your morning juice (or mixed your evening G&T), hang onto your orange, lemon or lime rinds and place them in your borders in the evening. Slugs and snails seem to love them, so by morning, you should have a small gathering, which can then be moved on.
CROCUS TIP
How to keep hostas nibble-free in pots
Hostas are beautiful foliage plants, but unfortunately slugs and snails think they're pretty tasty too - and they can do a huge amount of damage to their leaves in just one sitting. If you want to keep the foliage in tip top condition, sit your pot on some pot feet, which have been placed in a saucer filled with a little water. Keep the water topped up, but make sure that it does not touch the base of the pot. For extra protection, wrap some copper tape around the outer rim of the pot, and then top the compost with a layer of grit or wool pellets.
