Pest control is a challenge in any garden. But organic pest control is not an impossiblity as some may think. Unlike the 'no brainer' of chemical use (I'm sorry I use the term with a slightly different emphasis) organic gardening requires using a range of methods, with planning and coordination.
Even with chemical pesticides the problems still reappear. But as you grow you come to depend more on pesticides which prove to be less effective and more costly.
As an organic gardener you have opted not to poison nature and not kill the organisms that will assist you in organic pest control as well as pollination. Complete pest eradication should not be the goal.
A FEW QUICK TIPS
I'll add more details later
Soil Pests - Cultivate the soil finely
Slugs hide in soil and around larger damp soil lumps. They like to remain under cover during the day.
Cultivate the soil finely around slug prone plants like, potatoes, lettuce and seedlings. This exposes the soil pests to predators such as
birds, frogs, hedgehogs, etc... Slimy creatures won't be as happy moving over fine dry soil crumbs.
Regularly cultivate flower and vegetable beds. Whenever you're in the garden get into the habit of removing any pest or weed that you see. With untidy gardens concentrate on one smaller area at a time. If slugs and snails are a problem make a few trips down the garden after sun down. But also learn to distinguish the pests from the useful animals such as larva of ladybirds and hoverflies.
Clean away organic debris
Layers of soft moist organic debris provide cover and food for slugs and other pests. In danger areas crisp mulches like chippings, straw or strulch are better. Some advisors even say that manure attracts soil pests - but you have to balance advantages and disadvantages. The same goes for none essential companion plants or close spacings.
Plastic sheeting and newspaper etc... also provide pest cover. Consider the risks at the planning stages and make appropriate compromises. You might create a pest unfriendly environment around vulnerable areas but elsewhere retain some pest risky methods that have overwhelming advantages e.g. covering crops in cold weather.
Grow resistant varieties
Yes, there are lettuce varieties that are reputedly far less attractive to slugs. Carrot root fly resistance bred into carrot varieties such as resistafly is no guarantee but gives a significant percentage of improvement.
Resistance to fungal attack such as American mildew has been bred into many garden fruit varieties. Also try mixing more than one variety in the same row. The differences may only be due to timing of growth but it's better than giving disease a clear run at the whole crop.
Timing of the growing
Growth can sometimes be timed to miss a pest's life-cycle e.g. delaying carrot sowing to miss the carrot root flies late spring attacks.
Barrier methods
Covering the crop has to be one of the very best methods organic pest control methods against all sorts of animal pests from: tiny flea beetle, to cabbage butterflys, from carrot root flies to flocks of pidgeons. Select the finest mesh to exclude flea beetles.
Likewise cabbages can be protected from root fly by using collars placed on the soil around the seedlings.
Biological Pest Control
These have become iconic of organic pest control methods. They use an application of living pest predators. For example: nematodes for slugs, encarsia wasps for whitefly, and others for leatherjackets, ants, aphids... ... more on these later. More on
Organic Pest Control and U.K. biological controls on this link. Note: you have to follow instructions exactly.
Don't forget to encourage your garden's natural pest predators. Grow plants that attract ladybirds and hoverflies. Have a pond for frogs and newts, a log pile and dense hedgerow for hedgehogs and shrews. Provide nesting sites for small insect eating birds.
In organic gardening it simply does not make sense to use pesticides some of the time as I heard one professional recommend recently. These kill natural pest predators and that defeats the object.
Pest Repellant Companion Plants
Also consider natural pest repellant plants. They include a wonderful
marigold called Tomato Growing Secret from Thompson & Morgan. It reputedly repels white fly so is good in greenhouses. It does indeed have a strong smell when transplanted. I'm planting lots in my greenhouse.
I've just sown a row of carrot 'Bright Lights' covered the seed with ¼inch of fine soil then sown some spring onion 'White Lisbon' and topped off with another ¼inch of fine soil. Both crops will need thinning but the spring onion should confuse the carrot root flies that may be attracted to carrots.
Organic Pest Control Works
Organic pest control has many methods but they are best applied in unison. The rush to use pesticides is really something of a no-brainer when in fact we need a more intelligent coordinated response.
Well I hope at least to inspire the critics of organic gardening to think again, and of course I'll be adding more details when I get in from my garden.
Organic Weed Control is here
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