ntpw:natural_pest_and_weed_control

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ntpw:natural_pest_and_weed_control [2026/03/26 18:33] – external edit 127.0.0.1ntpw:natural_pest_and_weed_control [2026/05/13 15:07] (current) – Otto Hague
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 First, make sure you are practising good [soil management](/soil/soil), because vigourous, healthy plants growing in healthy, well-managed soil are much less susceptible to pests. First, make sure you are practising good [soil management](/soil/soil), because vigourous, healthy plants growing in healthy, well-managed soil are much less susceptible to pests.
  
-**Encouraging pest predators**+=== Encouraging pest predators ===
  
 Birds eat aphids, caterpillars and other insect pests, so one of the best things that you can do to reduce pests in your garden is to invite more birds into it. You can do that by giving birds places to live in your garden, and bribing them to visit and stay by providing food. You can buy or make bird boxes. Designs vary depending on which type of bird you want, e.g. robin boxes have a letter-box shaped slot at the front, and blue-tit boxes have a small hole for an entrance. You can easily find instructions and plans for bird boxes online. Now, think about your bird menu - you could plant trees and bushes with berries that attract birds, such as hawthorn and rose hips, or flowers that produce seeds that birds enjoy, such as sunflowers, zinnias, cornflowers and marigolds. Be careful though not to attract birds towards the berries that you want to harvest, such as your soft fruit area – best to attract the birds towards the vegetable beds and fruit trees. Birds eat aphids, caterpillars and other insect pests, so one of the best things that you can do to reduce pests in your garden is to invite more birds into it. You can do that by giving birds places to live in your garden, and bribing them to visit and stay by providing food. You can buy or make bird boxes. Designs vary depending on which type of bird you want, e.g. robin boxes have a letter-box shaped slot at the front, and blue-tit boxes have a small hole for an entrance. You can easily find instructions and plans for bird boxes online. Now, think about your bird menu - you could plant trees and bushes with berries that attract birds, such as hawthorn and rose hips, or flowers that produce seeds that birds enjoy, such as sunflowers, zinnias, cornflowers and marigolds. Be careful though not to attract birds towards the berries that you want to harvest, such as your soft fruit area – best to attract the birds towards the vegetable beds and fruit trees.
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 In recent years it has become possible to buy insects such as ladybirds by mail order. This might be worth doing if you have plenty of money, a large greenhouse, a major aphid problem, and no ladybirds - but it's an expensive solution and the ladybirds might fly off elsewhere! You'll also often see adverts (if you read gardening magazines) for mail-order nematodes - tiny parasitic worms, less than 1mm long, which get into slugs and kill and eat them from the inside (yuk). These are watered into the soil starting in early spring, and will control slugs for about 6 weeks, after which you might need to buy another pack - see [nemaslug.co.uk](http://nemaslug.co.uk). While some gardeners do find nematodes useful, longer term, rather than relying on a predator which you have to keep on buying all the time, you're probably better off taking other natural measures to control slugs - such as encouraging birds, amphibians and hedgehogs, and of course removing slug and snail habitats such as piles of stones and long grass around the edges of beds. In recent years it has become possible to buy insects such as ladybirds by mail order. This might be worth doing if you have plenty of money, a large greenhouse, a major aphid problem, and no ladybirds - but it's an expensive solution and the ladybirds might fly off elsewhere! You'll also often see adverts (if you read gardening magazines) for mail-order nematodes - tiny parasitic worms, less than 1mm long, which get into slugs and kill and eat them from the inside (yuk). These are watered into the soil starting in early spring, and will control slugs for about 6 weeks, after which you might need to buy another pack - see [nemaslug.co.uk](http://nemaslug.co.uk). While some gardeners do find nematodes useful, longer term, rather than relying on a predator which you have to keep on buying all the time, you're probably better off taking other natural measures to control slugs - such as encouraging birds, amphibians and hedgehogs, and of course removing slug and snail habitats such as piles of stones and long grass around the edges of beds.
  
-**Trapping**+=== Trapping ===
  
 The best-known trap for slugs and snails is a 'beer trap'. Just fill a shallow dish with leftover beer, place it on the ground, and if the weather is wet, improvise a lid or cover which keeps out rain but allows in slugs and snails. They are attracted to the beer, climb into the trap, and drink themselves to death. You can also buy special plastic containers to use as beer traps, though making your own is simple and cheaper. Any container which can hold 2cm of beer, keeps out rain, but allows in slugs will do. The best-known trap for slugs and snails is a 'beer trap'. Just fill a shallow dish with leftover beer, place it on the ground, and if the weather is wet, improvise a lid or cover which keeps out rain but allows in slugs and snails. They are attracted to the beer, climb into the trap, and drink themselves to death. You can also buy special plastic containers to use as beer traps, though making your own is simple and cheaper. Any container which can hold 2cm of beer, keeps out rain, but allows in slugs will do.
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 Aphids love nettles, and so do ladybirds. One market garden grows nettles in pots, and places them near crops that they want to protect - newly arrived aphids then settle on the nettles and get eaten by the ladybirds. Aphids love nettles, and so do ladybirds. One market garden grows nettles in pots, and places them near crops that they want to protect - newly arrived aphids then settle on the nettles and get eaten by the ladybirds.
  
-**Hunting**+=== Hunting ===
  
 Slugs and snails are most active at night, so many organic gardeners who want to control their slugs and snails go out on 'slug patrol' with a torch and a bucket after dark to pick up the pests. Some hunters drown their prey in a bucket of water, but kinder souls keep a lid on the bucket them empty it a long way from their garden the next day. Slugs and snails are most active at night, so many organic gardeners who want to control their slugs and snails go out on 'slug patrol' with a torch and a bucket after dark to pick up the pests. Some hunters drown their prey in a bucket of water, but kinder souls keep a lid on the bucket them empty it a long way from their garden the next day.
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 In daytime, you can inspect your crops for pests such as caterpillars and aphids (blackfly, greenfly, whitefly). Caterpillars can be picked off and taken away or killed; aphids really just have to be squished between your fingers (or sprayed with a dilute household soap solution, which kills them and is safe and environmentally friendly). Garlic and chilli pepper solutions may also be useful as a natural insecticide. In daytime, you can inspect your crops for pests such as caterpillars and aphids (blackfly, greenfly, whitefly). Caterpillars can be picked off and taken away or killed; aphids really just have to be squished between your fingers (or sprayed with a dilute household soap solution, which kills them and is safe and environmentally friendly). Garlic and chilli pepper solutions may also be useful as a natural insecticide.
  
-**Barriers**+=== Barriers ===
  
 As well as a way of killing slugs, water also makes a very effective barrier that they won't cross. Now you probably can't construct your veg beds with a moat around them, but you can stand a pot or container on an upturned plant saucer, inside a larger plant saucer or shallow container that you fill with water. Voila - you've made a slug moat around your special plant. You can also stand the legs of plant tables or greenhouse staging in containers of water to prevent slugs from climbing up them. Making plant tables with legs of rough-sawn wood can also be pretty effective at stopping slimy visitors from climbing up them. As well as a way of killing slugs, water also makes a very effective barrier that they won't cross. Now you probably can't construct your veg beds with a moat around them, but you can stand a pot or container on an upturned plant saucer, inside a larger plant saucer or shallow container that you fill with water. Voila - you've made a slug moat around your special plant. You can also stand the legs of plant tables or greenhouse staging in containers of water to prevent slugs from climbing up them. Making plant tables with legs of rough-sawn wood can also be pretty effective at stopping slimy visitors from climbing up them.
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-**Confusion and disguise**+=== Confusion and disguise ===
  
 Some pests find the plants that they like to eat by sight – colour or shape – so it can be better to avoid the usual practice of planting blocks or rows of the same type of plant. Instead, plant mixtures of different types of plant in each area - growing 'polycultures' as some gardeners put it, but note that sweetcorn must be planted in blocks, to enable it to pollinate. Similarly, some pests use their sense of smell to find your crops, so some organic gardeners like to plant onions next to carrots, or French marigolds next to tomatoes, to try to disguise the smell of the crops. Some pests find the plants that they like to eat by sight – colour or shape – so it can be better to avoid the usual practice of planting blocks or rows of the same type of plant. Instead, plant mixtures of different types of plant in each area - growing 'polycultures' as some gardeners put it, but note that sweetcorn must be planted in blocks, to enable it to pollinate. Similarly, some pests use their sense of smell to find your crops, so some organic gardeners like to plant onions next to carrots, or French marigolds next to tomatoes, to try to disguise the smell of the crops.
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 There are plenty of better, safer alternatives to using synthetic weedkillers. There are plenty of better, safer alternatives to using synthetic weedkillers.
  
-**Mulching**+=== Mulching ===
  
 Mulching means putting a layer of material over the soil to exclude light, without which weeds won't germinate or grow. Mulching also benefits plants by keeping the soil most, reducing the need to water crops, and mulches (apart from black plastic) also eventually break down to produce soil-enriching compost. Mulching means putting a layer of material over the soil to exclude light, without which weeds won't germinate or grow. Mulching also benefits plants by keeping the soil most, reducing the need to water crops, and mulches (apart from black plastic) also eventually break down to produce soil-enriching compost.
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-**No-dig**+=== No-dig ===
  
 There are several reasons not to dig vegetable beds, and one of them is that digging continually brings to the surface a new flush of weed seeds, which can lie dormant in the soil for many years. Young weeds can be dealt with by hoeing, and sometimes using a sharp digging spade like a wide hoe to cut the weed tops from their roots can be a very quick and effective way to tidy up a bed between crops. There are several reasons not to dig vegetable beds, and one of them is that digging continually brings to the surface a new flush of weed seeds, which can lie dormant in the soil for many years. Young weeds can be dealt with by hoeing, and sometimes using a sharp digging spade like a wide hoe to cut the weed tops from their roots can be a very quick and effective way to tidy up a bed between crops.
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-**Prevention is better than cure**+=== Pigs === 
 + 
 +If you have [pigs](https://knowledge.growingthecommons.org/doku.php/pigs/pigs), they are good at controlling weeds. Once it's autumn and pigs have fewer plants above ground to forage, they will begin to dig up the tubers of plants to eat. They are very effective at digging up weeds that regrow from taproots and rhizomes, such as bracken.  
 + 
 +=== Prevention is better than cure ===
  
 If you can, avoid ever letting weeds set seed. Hoe or mow down weeds before they flower. This 'stitch in time' policy will hugely reduce the amount of weeding required, though some weed seeds will always blow in from elsewhere, especially on an allotment site where some plotholders are less careful. If you can, avoid ever letting weeds set seed. Hoe or mow down weeds before they flower. This 'stitch in time' policy will hugely reduce the amount of weeding required, though some weed seeds will always blow in from elsewhere, especially on an allotment site where some plotholders are less careful.
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 ===== Specialist curators of this topic ===== ===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
 +[Otto Hague](https://knowledge.growingthecommons.org/doku.php/user/osedax)
  
  • ntpw/natural_pest_and_weed_control.txt
  • Last modified: 2026/05/13 15:07
  • by Otto Hague