Control Pests

Mix plants in each bed

Insect pests are often attracted to specific plant types. When plantings are mixed in each of your garden beds, pests are less likely to spread throughout a whole crop. Avoid planting out an entire garden bed with the same fruit or vegetable.

Rotate your crops

Crop rotation means moving vegetable groups from one bed to another each year. This can reduce the likelihood of diseases and pests attacking your crops. It also adds nutrients to the soil for the following crop.

Avoid stressed plants

Pests often take advantage of weak or distressed plants, particularly those suffering from heat stress. The most common signs of heat stress are sunburned foliage and wilting.

During hot weather, water regularly and deeply. Mulch the soil with at least 75 mm of organic mulch. Shade your crops, especially leafy greens and lettuces, to prevent them going to seed.

Attract beneficial insects

By growing plants that provide nectar for beneficial insects, you can attract the kinds of insects that help keep pests in check. Beneficial insects include:

• bees
• lacewings
• ladybugs
• assassin bugs
• praying mantis
• carabid beetles
• braconid wasps
• cotesia wasps.

To attract these ‘good’ insects, try growing these plants near your productive garden beds:

• Calendula
• Gaura
• Shasta and Marguerite daisies
• Gazania
• Feverfew
• Salvia
• Yarrow
• Gallardia
• Cosmos
• Nasturtium
• Dianthus
• Alyssum
• Ageratum.

You can also build an insect hotel.

Allowing chickens and ducks to roam and clean up under fruit trees can help keep snails and slugs at bay.

If your plants have a disease or pest you’re not sure about, talk to your local nursery. General garden hygiene, such as picking up all infected fruit, destroying diseased plants and keeping garden areas clear and free of weeds can help minimise pest damage or contain the issue before it gets out of control.