Continuing from our last blog, here are some tips keeping the pests out of your garden or alllotment without the use of chemicals. 

 

Weed control without Herbicides

 

Regular hoeing will prevent weed seedlings becoming established,

although long-rooted perennial weeds such as docks and dandelions need digging out. Never leave bare soil exposed, it is an open invitati

on for weeds to colonise. In the ornamental garden dense ground cover plants, such as bugle, berginia or periwinkle, will swamp out most weeds. A thick mulch will prevent annual weeds coming up, and organic mulchs such as chipped bark or compost will gradually break down, enriching the soil as they do so. Inorganic mulches include plastic membranes

and gravel.

In the vegetable patch ground is often left bare over winter. As well as allowing weeds to colonise valuable nutrients will be leached out by

the winter rain. Instead sow a green manure in the autumn, such

as alfalfa, agricultural mustard or clover. These will smother any

weeds and hold onto any nutrients. Long-rooted species will bring up nutrients from deep underground. In the spring green manures can be dug in, or are a valuable addition to the compost heap. If ground is left bare in the summer for short periods between crops it can be covered by plastic sheeting, sheets of cardboard of old carpets to prevent weed seeds germinating.

 

 

Encourage Useful Predators

Aphids (greenfly), slugs and snails are probably the most annoying garden pests. The good news is that although you may not find them very appetising they are top on the menu for a wide range of predators.

Song thrushes are adept at smashing snail shells,hedgehogs, toads and ground beetles will all gobble up slugs; and aphids are consumed in huge numbers by ladybirds and hoverfly larvae, lacewings and bluetits. Other useful garden predators are millipedes, earwigs, frogs, bats and most small birds. By welcoming these animals into your garden you can

save your plants from excessive damage