Organic Pest Control
Within the boundaries of organic gardening certain substances are permitted. Personally speaking though, these should only be used as a last resort against serious infestation. The ultimate aim is to encourage beneficial predators into your garden, creating a mini eco-sphere. To do this there has to be a food source which means allowing some destructive pests to flourish, if only briefly. By killing off pests such as aphids with pesticides you are depriving beneficial predators like ladybirds of a readily available source of food. If you really do have to use pesticides because of severe infestation then the following products should be of some use.
There are many more organic pesticides on the market but for most allotment gardeners or smallholder the three listed above should suffice.
Deterrents and prevention
Nature has its own way of dealing with unwanted insects in the form of garlic. It has long been known that certain plants, in particular their smell, deter harmful insects. Carrot fly for instance navigate by smell and can detect carrots from as far away as a mile. The strong scent of garlic masks the scent of the carrot making it far more difficult for the fly to detect the crop.
Other members of the alliums’ family, in particular chives and spring onions are also useful in the same way and are particularly effective against aphids.
Plant your chives and onions close to those plants that are most susceptible. To get the best results cut or rub the chives to release the scent.
You can make an effective homemade repellent by crushing a few garlic cloves then boil them in a litre of water for fifteen minutes, leave to cool then spray on your vegetables. Use only as a deterrent, in my experience it is of little use to plants already under attack.
Companion planting
Companion planting is an invaluable technique that all organic gardeners should consider using. Basically it involves planting ornamental plants to deter pests or attract pests away from your vegetables. As we’ve already mentioned members of the onion family can deter carrot fly and aphids by their smell which the pest finds unattractive. Here is a list of some of the most beneficial and easiest plants to find.
Alliums; good against aphids and carrot fly
Basil; attracts aphids away from other plants
Nasturtiums; attracts cabbage white butterflies away from broccoli and cabbage
Marigolds; repels slugs
Coriander; repels aphids and carrot fly
It’s also good practice to plant flowering ornamentals as close to your veg patch as possible, preferably in amongst your crops. They will attract bees and other pollinating insects essential for a bumper crop.
Other pests
As well as the usual, common pests that all gardeners come across at some time or other there are a few that you will encounter in Spain. By far the most problematic for us are grasshoppers and locusts. Left unchecked they can devour a young plant beyond recognition. Spiders are there natural predator, particularly the bloody big ones. Leave them and their webs in place and check it every so often. During the summer I guarantee that you’ll see a fair few grasshoppers caught up in its web.
Sheep and goats have caused us a fair few problems in the past. Both will eat any unprotected tree and vegetables and don’t expect the shepherd to stop them. Good grazing is difficult to find in summer so a nice juicy patch of lettuces are just what there looking for. In the end we had to fence off our newly planted trees and enclose our kitchen garden with chicken wire, fence posts and a few old pallets. We are now on speaking terms with both the shepherd and goat herder, offering them cold water in summer. You have to be a little bit pragmatic in these situations; after all before us foreigners moved into the campo the shepherds had the whole of the countryside to graze their flock on. We allow the sheep to graze on the lower part of our land in amongst the old olives and almonds.
- Neem oil is a non toxic, biodegradable broad spectrum pesticide that interferes with an insect’s physiology and mating patterns but doesn’t actually kill it. It’s the only insecticide that we use in our garden.
- Insecticidal soap is another non toxic pesticide that when applied has to come into contact with the insect and only lasts while it’s wet.
- Horticultural oil works by suffocating the insect and by disrupting its feeding pattern. It has low toxicity and leaves no residue.
There are many more organic pesticides on the market but for most allotment gardeners or smallholder the three listed above should suffice.
Deterrents and prevention
Nature has its own way of dealing with unwanted insects in the form of garlic. It has long been known that certain plants, in particular their smell, deter harmful insects. Carrot fly for instance navigate by smell and can detect carrots from as far away as a mile. The strong scent of garlic masks the scent of the carrot making it far more difficult for the fly to detect the crop.
Other members of the alliums’ family, in particular chives and spring onions are also useful in the same way and are particularly effective against aphids.
Plant your chives and onions close to those plants that are most susceptible. To get the best results cut or rub the chives to release the scent.
You can make an effective homemade repellent by crushing a few garlic cloves then boil them in a litre of water for fifteen minutes, leave to cool then spray on your vegetables. Use only as a deterrent, in my experience it is of little use to plants already under attack.
Companion planting
Companion planting is an invaluable technique that all organic gardeners should consider using. Basically it involves planting ornamental plants to deter pests or attract pests away from your vegetables. As we’ve already mentioned members of the onion family can deter carrot fly and aphids by their smell which the pest finds unattractive. Here is a list of some of the most beneficial and easiest plants to find.
Alliums; good against aphids and carrot fly
Basil; attracts aphids away from other plants
Nasturtiums; attracts cabbage white butterflies away from broccoli and cabbage
Marigolds; repels slugs
Coriander; repels aphids and carrot fly
It’s also good practice to plant flowering ornamentals as close to your veg patch as possible, preferably in amongst your crops. They will attract bees and other pollinating insects essential for a bumper crop.
Other pests
As well as the usual, common pests that all gardeners come across at some time or other there are a few that you will encounter in Spain. By far the most problematic for us are grasshoppers and locusts. Left unchecked they can devour a young plant beyond recognition. Spiders are there natural predator, particularly the bloody big ones. Leave them and their webs in place and check it every so often. During the summer I guarantee that you’ll see a fair few grasshoppers caught up in its web.
Sheep and goats have caused us a fair few problems in the past. Both will eat any unprotected tree and vegetables and don’t expect the shepherd to stop them. Good grazing is difficult to find in summer so a nice juicy patch of lettuces are just what there looking for. In the end we had to fence off our newly planted trees and enclose our kitchen garden with chicken wire, fence posts and a few old pallets. We are now on speaking terms with both the shepherd and goat herder, offering them cold water in summer. You have to be a little bit pragmatic in these situations; after all before us foreigners moved into the campo the shepherds had the whole of the countryside to graze their flock on. We allow the sheep to graze on the lower part of our land in amongst the old olives and almonds.
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