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 Managing Pests and Diseases of Vegetables Without Using Heavy Chemicals

Growing your own vegetables can be very rewarding, but it can also be very frustrating when the pests or diseases get your vegetables first. But there is hope, you can beat the bugs and diseases without using heavy chemicals. Over the years a system called Integrated Pest/Disease Management (IPM)has been developed, where using chemicals is the last resort IPM is based on physical/mechanical, biological and chemical controls measures.

Physical/mechanical means that you pull weeds out by hand, you squash aphids between your fingers, or use a spade to dig out weeds. Biological controls means using other insects/animals to control the one/s that are out of control. For example using predaory mites to control two spotted mite on azaleas. And the last is chemical control which is using sprays to eliminate the pests or diseases. Using chemicals should always be the last resort.

Putting the right plant in the right position in well prepared soil is also another tactic in trying to combat pest and diseases. If plants are in the right spot, they will be healthy and strong, but if you put them in the wrong position, they become suspectible to pests and diseases. Providing them with right conditions, allows them to build up their vigour and strength and that helps protect them from attack. Make sure your plants are receiving the right amounts of water they need. Too much or little can cause plants to become stressed and this lower their resistance to attack from pests and pathogens. Pests seem to know they are stressed!

Another method to help reduce the build up pests and diseases is crop rotation. To ensure that this method works properly, you need to understand what families vegetables come from. Vegetables from the same families attract similar pests and diseases.

Pests and Diseases

Vegetables attract their fair share of pests and diseases and if you are growing a lot of one crop (called monoculture), pests and diseases are highly attracted to them. To confuse the pests, it is a good idea to interplant your vegetables. For example planting silver beet around the cauliflower or broccoli. This does make practicing crop rotation difficult, unless you have planned really well whats going where.

There are two types of pests, chewing ones such as snails and caterpillars and sap sucking ones such as aphids. They are controlled by different chemical methods. There are two types of chemicals - contact and systemic. Contact chemicals only work when the pest is there and washes off with rain or watering. It is important to understand that many of the home made remedies or less stronger chemcials such as pyrethrin or Dipel are contact sprays. They only last a day or two made up in the bottle, so don't make large amounts and store it as they lose their potency. Systemic on the other hand are absorbed by the leaf and move around the leaves vascular system. They are much stronger chemicals and last in the plant for a lot longer but you may not want to use them on vegetables you are going to eat.

It is also important that if you are making your own remedies, that all the utensiles you use are kept separate from the kitchen utensiles. Remember home-made remedies can be poisonous to you too!

Home-made and less toxic Chemical Remedies to Control Pests and Diseases

Flying insects and Caterpillars

Sticky traps for whitefly, aphids, thrips and leaf miner moths. Light traps are good for catching tomato grub moths and lawn armyworm.

Steel wool can be placed around tree trunks to prevent ants farming insects such as scale, aphids and mealy bugs because they produce a sticky substance called honeydew.

Snail bait does not work on caterpillars. They are controlled by less harmful poisons such as Dipel or Pyrethrum (Long Life). These are contact sprays and need to be reapplied after rain or watering. There are also many home made recipes for controlling pests and diseases.

Garlic spray can be used to control aphids and caterpillars in the garden. It is a contact spray. Soak 1 bulb of finely chopped garlic, in paraffin for 3 days. Dissolve 2 cups of soap flakes in 1L. of water and add to the garlic mixture. Stand the mixture for a further 2 days and the strain mixture through pantihose. Dilute 1/2cup of garlic concentrate with 4L. of water before application.

Chilli spray can be used for control of chewing insects and aphids. Can also control possums until they get used to the taste. It is a contact spray. Blend 40 fresh chilli peppers in 1L. of water. Add 5g. of pure soap flakes to blended chilli mixture. Apply as required undiluted.

Oil sprays can be used to control scale, aphids, mealy bugs, mites and thrips. Vegetable oil and light mineral oils such as paraffin are permitted for use in 'certified organic farming'. Petroleum based oils known as 'White Oil or All Seasons Oil' is not permitted in 'certified organic farming'. Do not use any oil spray if the maximum daily temperature is going to be over 23C as they can burn the plants leaves. Also causes burning if used within 4 weeks of using a sulphur spray such as wettable sulphur or lime sulphur.
Mix 1tbsp of liquid soap with 1 cup of vegetable oil. Dilute as required using 1-2.5tsp of the mixture to 1 cup of water.

Snails and Slugs

Snails are a big pest. There are several methods to prevent them attaching your seedlings and plants.

DO NOT USE SNAIL BAIT IF YOU HAVE A DOG. SNAIL BAIT IS ATTRACTIVE TO DOGS BECAUSE IT HAS BRAN IN IT AND IS POISONOUS TO THEM.

You can sprinkle crushed eggshells, sharp sand around it each plant. Be careful using hydrated lime and wood ash as both are alkaline and can alter your soil's pH.After it has rained, go out and pick them up and put them in the bin. Also check under pots for slugs and any nice damp place for snails to hide.

Fungicides

Sulphur is used to control powdery mildew and vegetables, fruit trees and ornamentals, rust on vegetables and fungal diseases on stone fruit. It is a protectant, eradicate, contact spray.
Sulphur should not be used 21 days before or after using an oil spray, or in combination with an oil spray or over 23C. It can be purchased as 'Sulfur Spray', 'Dusting sulphur', 'Powdered Sulphur' or 'Wettable Sulphur'.

Copper based products such as 'Kocide' and 'Bordeaux' are used as a protective spray against many bacterial and fungal diseases that affect fruit trees, vegetables and ornamental plants.

In winter,you can spray roses with lime sulphur to control the fungal disease black spot. It kills the black spot spores. You can spray the soil around the plant and stems and leaves of the bush. To prevent burning the new spring foliage, make sure you spray before the new leaves have emerged.

Weeds

Boiling water can be used to kill small weeds growing in between bricks and paving and some ant species. However, this method does not work on bulbous weeds such as oxalis, as energy stored in the bulb, allows it to grow new leaves.

Vinegar, salt and water can also be used to to kill weeds. This is a spray best used once or twice because if you continually use it on the same spot, the build up of salt in the soil could cause salination problems.

It is important to remember that all chemical sprays, whether commercially manufactured or home-made need to be handled carefully and stored responsibly. It is important to read the directions on commercially produced chemicals on how to use them safely and understand the Withholding Period (number of days that must pass before you can harvest the produce) if you are spraying them onto your vegetables. If you make your own home remedies, it is a good idea to label the spray bottle with the name of the product and date it was made. NEVER STORE ANY CHEMICALS IN SOFT DRINK BOTTLES as children can mistake the liquid for a drink. Make sure your chemicals are in a shed or cupboard that locks and keeps children and pets out!

Pests and diseases are a challenge when growing vegetables, but don't give up. All gardens have problems and you will build up knowledge as you get more experience. The effort is worth it as home-grown vegetables are out of this world and taste brilliant.

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