Garden Class, Pests and diseases.

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What is a Pest = something you don’t want there.
Why = because they cause damage, make holes in plant, eat the leaves.
How do you know you’ve got them? = Leaf colour changes, gets spots on,
leaves drop off, eggs appear on leaves, plants can get stickiness. leaves can curl – (ahpids), leaves become distorted.

Flower damage, animals can eat plants = rabbit/deer. Mice and squirrels can take away bulbs. After butterfly eggs hatch, the caterpillers can eat leaves (different coloured caterpillers eat different plants. Birds can eat some plants
Insects diffferent types go for different plants e.g., Saw fly one eats Raspberries, one eats Gooseberries, another eats Solomans Seal flowers.

Control methods, control not kill = Put barriers in place = Netting over the host plant. Companion planting can be beneficial, they attract insects away from the plant you are protecting. Plant garlic/onions with roses, plant garlic/onions with carrots, no evidence of attack is shown above ground.
Red spider mites like dry conditions, so wet would deter them

Benificial/Sacrificial plants = Chamomile, Marigold, Nasturtiams, Corn poppy attracts pollinating insects and Ivy attracts late pollinating insects.
Blue and purple flowers attract bees.

Barriers = Fleece, Netting, collars,
Barriers for snails = eggshells, soot, scattered thyme sprays all detract snails .
Slug traps with beer attract the snails, who then fall in and can’t get out. Slug pellets attract snails, but also kill the birds/animals that feed on slug, so are best avoided if possible. Pellets should not be put near the plants you wish to save but round the edge of the garden.

Biological controls = Native or, “simple” flowers = daisy family, of the
COMPOSITAEL or ASERACEA varieity they act as hellipads to attract insects to land on. The “poached egg plant” colouring guides insects in to pollinate.
Plants of the LABITOE family, with square stems, and lip shaped flowers i.e., mint, salvia, snap dragon like wet conditions, the sages like dry conditions.

Reasons for disease = plant not looked after correctly, by neglect, over/under watering, over/under feeding, conditions too hot/too cold, lacking in something, injury or attack, virus attack. How can you tell = Plant sad looking, poor colour or change of colour, got damage, marked, drooping.
Aphids penetrate and suck, causing infection/virus (VECTOR) and can spread it to other plants.

Learn which insects/butterflies are to be encouraged. Learn which are to be discouraged.

• 28 Nov, 2008
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