Natural powders and sprays
Products based on rapeseed oil (eg Bug Clear) suffocate smaller insect pests by blocking their breathing holes, but leave larger beneficial bugs unharmed. Fatty acids (aka liquid insecticidal soap, eg Organic Bug Free) are modern versions of old remedies for use on flowers, fruit and veg with small insect pests, including hard-to-tackle whitefly and red spider mite. Sulphur powder controls powdery mildew on flowers, veg and some fruit, and pyrethrum powders or sprays (made from chrysanthemum flowers) treat aphids, caterpillars, ants, weevils and flea beetles.
Varieties with built-in resistance
Many modern varieties of veg have been bred with built-in resistance to certain pests or diseases – these are identified in seed catalogues or on seed packets. You can find partially carrot-fly-resistant carrots, club root-resistant brassicas and courgettes that shrug off mildew or virus. Some modern potato varieties deter eelworm, potato blight and/or other common problems. Many roses are also bred with varying degrees of resistance to disease – consult rose catalogues, reference books or growers’ websites. Young plants of some tomatoes and peppers are available grafted on to rootstocks that resist the kind of root diseases often present in greenhouse soil.
Biological control
A large range of predatory and parasitic bugs is available to tackle particular pest problems, including slugs, vine weevils, greenflies, chafer grubs or leatherjackets in lawns, and red spider mites, whiteflies or mealybugs in greenhouses. There’s also a mixed pack that treats several vegetable garden soil pests as well as ants. Introduce biological control early, as soon as conditions permit, for maximum benefit – a second dose later is often recommended. It’s pricey but effective if used very precisely.
Mother nature’s pest controllersGrow old-fashioned hardy annuals and herbs to encourage a healthy population of wild beneficial insects such as hover flies and ladybirds. Also supply food and water for birds because they eat huge numbers of caterpillars and aphids in the spring. Hedgehogs, thrushes, foxes and shrews will eat snails.
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