All gardeners know the joy of blooming borders – and the gloom of the discovery that prized plants have been eaten up pests. Broadcaster and co-host of the Dig It podcast Zoe Ball, 55, is no exception. Sharing a tour of her glorious, contemporary garden on Instagram, she comments: ‘So satisfying to get home to mayhem in the garden, do a strong morning of weeding, pruning, sorting and feeding then step back to enjoy – despite the nasturtiums, dahlias and echinacea being munched to oblivion, there is still so much blooming.’
She’s not alone in fighting the pests, says GH gardening expert Dan Cooper. ‘June is one of the most productive months in the UK – temperatures are warm and the days are long, giving plants an opportunity to grow vigorously. At the same time, birds, insects and mammals are reproducing, taking advantage of the many food sources available and giving their young time to reach adulthood before winter.
‘Native and ornamental plants are important food sources for many wild species that visit our gardens, so it’s hardly surprising that we might notice the odd nibbled leaf margin, unexplained hole or grubbed-up tuber. There’s a balance to be struck: avoiding any form of “pest” damage is futile, but sometimes there’s an imbalance, and that’s where we find plants being mutilated or destroyed entirely. This can be very disheartening when you’ve put so much effort into nurturing your plants.’
Dan’s seven tips to protect your plants:
Attract a wide variety of wildlife into your garden. If you can create a balanced ecosystem that includes birds, mammals, amphibians and insects, they will usually keep a check on one another without you having to intervene.
Step in to protect your plants early – prevention is always better than cure. To deter slugs and snails, use eggshells, crushed seashells, wool pellets and copper rings. These don’t kill the slugs but might encourage them to dine elsewhere. For flying insects like cabbage white butterflies, a plastic-free net has a fine mesh that stops insects from getting through and laying their eggs or enjoying the feast you’ve laid out for them. Squirrels dislike thorny rose prunings and holly leaves, so these are useful for protecting newly planted seeds and bulbs.
Delphiniums, lilies, box, lupins, dahlias, nasturtiums, brassicas and broad beans are pest magnets. If you know these are going to be infested with bugs or chomped to smithereens, use pest-prone annuals like nasturtiums as a sacrificial plant – aphids, black fly and slugs will opt for these over more precious, harder to grow plants.
Use companion planting to distract pests – the strong scent of plants such as marigolds, dill and basil masks the smell of vulnerable plants like tomatoes and cucumbers, so that insect pests are unable to detect their presence.
Maintain good old-fashioned garden hygiene – slugs and snails love to eat and hide in decaying matter. Clear away fallen leaves and avoid organic mulches where they’re becoming a pest, as they’ll be attracted to that and then go after your flowers and vegetables.
Healthier, larger plants are less prone to being nibbled, so resist the urge to plant out tender, juicy veg such as lettuce, cucumbers and courgettes until they’re a decent size. That way, they won’t be mown down before they can get a foothold. Feed your plants regularly so that they have the strength to recover from the odd nibble.
Avoid watering in the evening as the damp conditions you create will encourage slugs to party on your patch all night long. Watering early in the morning gives your garden time to dry out before nightfall.
Remember – different methods of control work for different gardeners. In practice, I find it best to experiment and use multiple deterrents to increase the chances of protecting my plants.
