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Control your pest in your Garden

Biological Controls


Hedgehogs, ducks, chickens, frogs and toads are all predators of snails and slugs.  Hedgehogs eat slugs, beetles, caterpillars etc. and are an excellent addition to pest control strategies in the garden.  They can be encouraged by providing sleeping areas such as piles of leaves and garden waste and leaving out a dish of meat in the form of cat or dog food, chicken leftovers and other sources of protein and a bowl of water.  Piles of garden rubbish should be carefully moved and inspected before burning to detect any sheltering hedgehogs.

Ducks and chickens also supplement their diet with slugs but care needs to be taken to decide which breed to purchase and how they will be housed.  Chickens can cause damage to valuable plants and it is a good idea to move them around in pens or let them into the garden at the end of the day when they may be looking for an alternative to plant food.  Ducks like to be near to water containers but do not necessarily need a pond, they can be moved around in pens on a rotation basis if they are trampling areas of vegetation.

Creating a wildlife pond in the garden will provide a habitat for a wide diversity of wildlife including frogs and toads.  Ponds should be deep enough in the centre not to freeze over in winter (approximately 60cm) and at least a third of the edge should be shallow and gently sloping to enhance the free movement of amphibians and other wildlife.  A sloping edge also provides an escape route for any animals falling into the pond(30) for example, Hedgehogs are good swimmers but have difficultly climbing out of a pond with steep sides, raised ponds should have an access ramp(31).  A marshy area provides a place of shelter for wildlife especially young amphibians.  Ponds do not have to be very large and are colonised very quickly.  If a newly created pond is filled with tap water allow it to stand for a couple of days to let the Chlorine evaporate and then boost it with a bucket of water from a mature pond.

Companion Planting

Planting recipes

One of the most commonly known companion planting recipes is interplanting tomatoes with French marigolds. Marigolds are known to repel greenfly and blackfly because they produce a scent that is offensive to these insects.

Nasturtiums have several uses as companions to other plants. When planted with broccoli and squash, they help to keep aphids away with their strong smell - this is also a deterrent to woolly aphid on apple trees. They are also attractive to black aphids and cabbage caterpillars, so they can be planted near cabbages to save them from insect damage.

Plant carrots and leeks together in the vegetable patch. Leeks repel carrot fly and carrots repel onion fly and leek moth. The confusion of scents means the insects stay away.

Ten plants to try


Asparagus - prevents a harmful nematode from attacking the roots of tomato plants.

 


Chervil - keeps aphids off lettuce.

 


Chives - helps to keep fungal diseases at bay and discourages aphids on chrysanthemums, sunflowers and tomatoes.

 


Coriander - repels aphids and can be made into a spray to use against red spider mite.

 


Dill - attracts hoverflies and predatory wasps, which keep aphids at bay.

 


Garlic - a deterrent for aphids, this is particularly good to plant with roses.

 


Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare - the strong scent of this plant deters ants.

 


Sage, salvias - benefits brassicas and carrots because its smell confuses pests.

 


Leguminous plants - this family includes peas, beans, sweet peas and lupins, which are famous for their ability to 'fix' nitrogen. This means they convert nitrogen by way of bacteria that live in the roots into a form that can be used easily by plants. This is then stored in root nodules and, by leaving the roots of these plants in the soil, this essential nutrient is effectively recycled.

 


Yarrow, Achillea millefolium - boosts vigour in other plants, as well as accumulating phosphorus, calcium and silica, which are good for the compost heap. It is a good host for hoverflies, ladybirds and predatory wasps that keep aphids at bay.

 

Plants that need little water

Buddleia

Red Hot Poker

Fornia Poppy

Many Herbs 

Plants that drinks lots of water

Eucalyptus

Bamboo

Leylandii  

 


Water the lawn regularly if you are not limited with a hosepipe ban
Stripes are nice to see in a lawn, but make sure you cut in a different direction each time.
You can't stop birds dropping all sorts of other grass and weeds onto your lawn.

Lawn Specialist

Telephone: 0800 019 4849

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