Bug off: prevent infestations and disease in your plants
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 10:02 AM
Do you enthusiastically don your gardening gloves each spring only to find your plants are already diseased or infested with bugs? Taking preventative measures now could well make that a thing of the past.
Gardening expert Julian Ives, of Harrod Horticultural, recommends that you start with some thorough weeding, especially under benches and on paths. This is because overwintering pests (ie beasties that live through the winter, including whitefly) can survive on just a few weeds.
“If you are keeping some stock plants going over the winter, it’s a good idea to hang sticky traps up in the greenhouse,” says Ives. “This will help catch whitefly adults that are still flying on warmer days or in heated areas.” And keep a bottle of bug spray handy in case you see any rogue pests flying around.
Next, you need to clean the glass, pathways and benches in your greenhouse. This will help remove any remaining overwintering pests and diseases. Ives adds, “Clean glass will also maximise winter light if you are still using the greenhouse for growing.”
Finally, although you would ideally have done this earlier than October, it’s not too late to place nematode products into plant containers and directly on the soil – this will ward off slugs and vine weevil. Act now and you hopefully won’t have to deal with the slime trails come spring...
You can buy all the plant protecting products you need from harrodhorticultural.com. Sticky pest traps £4.95 for 10; Pyrethrum bug spray £5.95 per litre; concentrated organic greenhouse cleaner £4.45 for 450ml; Nemasys slug killer up to 40 square metres £9.95; vine weevil killer up to 12 square metres £8.95.
