Insecticides for my veg please

vangirl_2

Hi, This is my first year of growing veg in my garden and would like some advice please. My garden is next to a field with a large hedge around the perimiter so I get thousands of slugs, snails, greenfly, blackfly, beetles etc and was wondering the best way to protect my veg.

Im going to be growing tomatoes, potatoes, courgettes and leafy veg in a greenhouse and in some raised beds.
I
have marigolds for companion planting but was wondering what the best products are. Ive also heard that sticking pennies around your raised beds will keep the slugs off but have not had any confirmation on this.
Many thanks

Lotus-eater

To start with beetles aren't going to cause you any problems unless it is the Colorado beetle, then we all have something to worry about. in fact they eat slugs eggs, so good all rounders.

You need wildlife, you need the bad insects to attract the good insects, this is where agriculture and garden growing has gone wrong for a long time. Its now getting alot better with gardeners understanding the way it works.

This is your first year, so I commend your advance planning, but you should really wait and see what happens. Firstly you don't buy anything unless you need it.

French Marigold companion planting is brilliant and very recommended by myself, I had no problems in my first year of greenhouse growing last year and everyone was impressed. About 20 or so marigold plants were in there.

A nice lavender plant will also bring in beneficial insects. You want to try to work with nature, rather than against.

Of course slugs and snails are a different thing altogether. You do need some for frogs/toads, birds and hedgehogs etc, but we always seem to have too many.
If you search on here or the net, there are loads of different ways of dealing with them, I always use the torch light in the evening, with a pair of scissors for chopping them up.
If I have real problems I will use the organic slug pellets as they are about the same price as normal slug pellets and although the jury is still out on whether they are any better than normal pellets, make me feel better anyway.

I don't use any other sprays around the garden and although I will never say never, I don't think I will.

There are other ways of dealing with pests, but from the things you want to grow, slugs and snails should be your biggest worry.

RAS

Hi

Make a small "pond" out od a washing up bowl sunk in the ground, with a strategically place rock so frogs can climb out. Then find an existing pond and add a small amount of pond life from there, with a couple of stones and you have frog heaven. Great slug eaters.

A home made hedgehog home will also help.

If you are close to a field then mice and voles are an issue. Sow peas and beans indoors or on a mouse proof table and plant them out when about 4 inches high.

sammyjammy

I used the pennies around a growbag with courgettes planted in last year, it was somewhat successful but as the bag was against a brick wall they just climbed onto the plant via the wall LOL, this year my plan is to create a small himm of vermucilate (sp!) around the base of my young plants which I'm hoping will help, I refuse to kill them in anyway, even if they die happy, I have resorted to going out at night, picking them up and taking them for a little trip to the park up the road, obviously doesn't reslove the problem but does cut back on numbers if doen regularly (don't move them to someone elses garden like someone I know!!!)

arkonite_babe

This older thread might help:

Organic insecticides

vangirl_2

Hi Thanks for all your help. Will definately plant some lavendar to attract insects. The homemade pond is a great idea too, I would love to have some frogs in my garden and anything that will help with the slugs is most welcome. Ive given my oh the task of making me a hedgehog home.

I think I was approaching this from the wrong angle am definatley going to look into ways of planting to benefit my garden rather than just zapping all the bugs.

ixwood

Insecticides (organic or not. Natural doesn't automatically mean good) wipe out all insects, good and bad included (including bees and butterflies).

The predators/good insects get wiped out, meaning the more numerous and quicker reproducing pests have got a free reign to take over.

As mentioned it's best to try and let nature establish a balance.

One thing I'm not sure about though is ants. They ingeniously farm and protect slave armies of aphids and other pests. Whilst I admire their intelligence and collective might, they can/will see off/kill most other insects. Any ideas for dealing with them? I can only think of encouraging bigger predators like frogs and birds.

Lotus-eater

Ants cause me trouble as well, I replied to someone last year that ants don't really bother strawberries much if there are no holes in them already by slugs and straight afterwards my strawberries started getting eaten by ants. No slug holes before.

They also cause alot of damage to my black and red currants and jostaberries by farming aphids. I try to deal with the aphids instead of the ants, on the jostaberries I wipe off the aphids and spray soft soap, on the currants I spray, but that normally isn't enough with huge colonies seemingly appearing overnight and causing twisted leaves, when it gets to this stage I pinch off the tips of the stems, talking the whole lot of aphids and bin it.