Pests and diseases

Slugs and snails Enemy number one for most vegetable growers, slugs and snails, love damp conditions and thrive in a warm, wet summer. Crops affected: Virtually any crop –snails above ground, slugs both above and below soil level. Worst affected are brassicas, carrots, potatoes, seedlings. Symptoms: Nibbled leaves and roots can be confused with other pests such as caterpillars. Look…
Ten facts about nematodes

Ten facts about nematodes

Nematodes are microscopic worms found naturally in the soil which can be applied  to tackle different pests To mark the 25th anniversary of Nemaslug, here are ten amazing things about nematodes: · Nematode means ‘thread like’ in Greek. They were first identified in 1758 and there are around 25,000 known species, although there could be over a million. · Visible…
Seven tips to help hungry hedgehogs survive

Seven tips to help hungry hedgehogs survive

Gardeners are being encouraged to look after hedgehogs this autumn as numbers continue to fall. Outdoors experts from GardenBuildingsDirect.com have researched ways British hedgehogs can be supported in gardens as young hoglets emerge this year. Last year hedgehog numbers stood at just one million, considerably lower than the 30 million recorded in the 1950s. Yet helping young hedgehogs is not…

Podcast 54: Alternatives to slug pellets

The Kitchen Garden Magazine Podcast – packed full of hints, tips and advice from the team. Is there an alternative to slug pellets? – We talk about controlling slugs naturally using Nemaslug Slug Killer, which contains natural nematodes that are effective at controlling slugs, but unlike chemical controls, are safe for children, pets, birds and wildlife. The nematodes in Nemaslug…
Worms you don't want

Worms you don’t want

The invasive New Zealand flatworm is entrenched in the north of the country, and slithering south. Gaby Bartai talks to the research team who are on its track By the time you find your first New Zealand flatworm, it’s too late. Lurking under stones, planks or pots, they keep a low profile, but they are impossible to eradicate and their…
Time to slug it out...

Time to slug it out…

Gardeners’ favourite slug deterrents are in focus in the first Subs Club offering for June, specially for subscribers to Kitchen Garden. Home slug remedies get scientific trial Egg shells, copper tape and other home remedies traditionally used by gardeners to deter slugs and snails are being put to the test by the RHS this summer, in the first scientific experiment…
Organic slug control proves itself

Organic slug control proves itself

Findings from the first year of an RHS study reveal that organic slug pellets perform just as well as synthetic ones. Interim results from the two-year study to identify more effective slug and snail controls show that organic pellets performed almost as well as the market-leading non-organic equivalent across a range of plants – and on hostas, they did better.…

6th July 2017

Snail supper I am getting visitors in the night. Slugs and snails leaving slimy trails. They have eaten one or two of my leaves despite them being a bit prickly. Of all the lovely stuff to eat in this veg patch they pick me. My skin seems to be hardening a bit so at least my butt is still intact.…
Humidity boosted 2016 pests and diseases

Humidity boosted 2016 pests and diseases

A hot, moist 2016 saw the rise of humidity-loving pests and diseases, says the RHS Gardening Advice Service. Slug and snails generated a record number of enquiries and regained the number one pest spot, which they’ve occupied in eight of the past 10 years. Fuchsia gall mite moved five places up the table, from eighth in 2015 to third in…

3 non-harmful ways to deter pests from your garden

Here are a handful of non-harmful, eco-friendly and sustainable ways of deterring pests Are you a keen gardener keeping a watchful eye on the wildlife that’s visiting your garden? Well, if so, you may be wondering how best to deter the various pests that are on your plot. Here are a handful of non-harmful, eco-friendly and sustainable ways of deterring…
Slug and snail controls on trial

Slug and snail controls on trial

The project, which will test six different strategies and is the first of its kind to be conducted under garden conditions. A year-long research project, designed to help gardeners combat slugs and snails more effectively, has been launched by the RHS. In seven of the past ten years slugs and snails have headed the RHS’s annual list of the top…