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pest cotrol aims to reduce damage 

 

The aim of organic pest management is to reduce damage.  It is not possible to totally eradicate all pests and disease.  The common strategies involved in organic pest management are:

 

Healthy soil - compost and well rotted manure with not too much nitrogen.  Employ crop rotation strategies to reduce build up of soil diseases.

 

Plant diversity – including companion planting.

 

Unstressed plants – plant at the right time of year with pest and disease resistant varieties. Water well and mulch to maintain moisture and insulate soil.Provide good air circulation and water soil not plants to avoid fungal diseases.

 

Useful predators - grow flowering plants and provide habitat of bush and ponds so that birds, lizards, frogs, spiders, dragon flies are encouraged to the garden to feed on pests.

 

Hygene – remove infected and diseased growth from garden – do not compost.

 

Removal of pests by hand eg. bad ladybirds

 

 

Barriers, traps and sprays

WHITE OIL for citrus  suffocates mites, scale and soft bodied insects
and helps to repel leaf miner.  Avoid using in very hot weather - over 30 degrees.

Blend 500ml vegetable oil and 1/2 cup pure liquid soap.  Dilute 1 tablespoon into
1 litre of water.

 

CATIPILLAR control

Molasses spray is useful for caterpillars.  Dissolve 1 tablespoon of molasses
into 1 litre of warm water. Add 1 teaspoon of biodegradable liquid soap.

 

FRUIT FLY Control

Remove all infected fruit from the garden. Do not compost.

Garlic/Chilli Spray for fruit fly.  Measurements are approximate
and you can vary the amounts.

5 cloves garlic ( you can substitute chilli powder or paste)

10 chillis

1 onion

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 litre water

Chop all roughly and boil up.

Strain and put into spray bottle.

You need to spray twice a week and after rain.

Store away from children and protect yourself so that the mixture
does not come into contact with skin or eyes .

 

 

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