THE BATTLE IS ON TO FIGHT PESTS
In my organic world this means no insecticides and constant vigilance for marauders on the plot
The weather of the past week seems to have perked up many vegetables on the plot. The winter vegetables in particular are benefitting from warm days and are putting on extra weight. The swedes and leeks are feeding voraciously and are getting bigger day by day as the nights of late have been rather balmy. The parsnip leaves are getting very tall and their foliage could almost match my maincrop potatoes! If this spell of weather I’m experiencing at present continues, there are going to be some bumper harvests to feed me through the long winter. My natural enemy, the slug, has been less of a problem on my allotment this summer. This I put down partly to the dry spring and early summer. The wetter days of August did bring a few back into action and there was a slight nibbling of my tender plants. I’m desperately seeking that holy grail of being completely organic and have, therefore, used no nasty slug pellets since early spring and then only under my cloches. I did apply a good soaking of nematodes in early spring with a follow up dosing in early summer, and hopefully this has reduced the underground population of these slugs. I have another course of nematodes in my possession and in damp conditions it’s the right time to apply them. The slugs are returning to the lower reaches of the soil to overwinter and to feed on the rich debris that’s harboured there. The aim is to attack these marauding pests in their own territory and reduce the population further. The battle is constant, but I’ll win!
This is the time of year when that strange-looking, long-legged insect is found everywhere and replaces the spider usually found in our bathtub! I’m of course referring to the cranefly, more commonly known as ‘daddy long legs’. This odd-shaped insect is only a minor irritation on the allotments where they lay their eggs in the soil and their offspring, leatherjackets, feed on plant roots. The garden sometimes resembles a battlefield more than a tranquil place of relaxation! To provide ourselves with a regular supply of tasty vegetables we have to be constantly on guard. The hunting vigil is a daily occurrence as there are pests for virtually every crop. In my organic world, this vigil has to be carried out with patience and careful observation. I use no chemicals to ward off my attacking pests. Fortunately, in this day and age there are plenty of barrier protections to keep wee beasties away from feeding on my precious crops. I fight the clean fight without resorting to nasty insecticides and over-use of the spray gun.