#insectpests

Alyssum - not only does #alyssum smell sweet and delightful, but its tiny #flowers also attract many #beneficialinsects which feed on #insectpests. In the #garden it makes a great companion to many #vegetables. For instance, you can plant #sweetalyssum around #potatoes so the #tubers can grow pest-free beneath.

My favourite kind of pest control is to do nothing. Its easy! Here, someone has done the job for me. It's a scene that I see many times a day in different parts of the garden. Predators, in this case a spider take care of m9re than their bodyweight in pests every day and they don't ask for much, just a place to rest and more pests. It wasn't easy for me to let go of the 'must kill pests' attitude that had I had been conditioned with. It took several years to let go of the idea that organic poisons were necessary and that I had to spray our veggies with, at least, soapy water every week. Every year, as soon as i saw holes in my leaves, I went at it. Then je yrar before last, i said 'no more'! I cried when I saw while crops devastated . It happened again and again but I noticed that each time, a little less was being destroyed and more survived. This year, besides one test spray of soapy water on a couple of test plants, I've used no poison on the main garden at all. What I see now is a dazzling array of critters who have heard the message of the last two years and come to live at out place, rent free. I'm a predator too of course, it's in my blood. I still enjoy spying a green caterpillar and either eating it, squishing it or feeding it to the chooks. Slugs still get the boot as do the imported earwigs. Nobody is completely harmless, not even a sweetie like yours truly but I have far less worry and work to do. _________________________________________________ #pestcontrol #insectpests #urbanfarming #organicpestcontrol #saurbanfood #growyourownfood #growitlocal #permaculturesouthaustralia (at Gawler, South Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbE3l8irBKW/?utm_medium=tumblr

Black rat snake - they may seem scary at first, but most of the time finding a #snake in or near the #garden is a good thing. In fact, providing a #gardensnake habitat is a great way to keep many #rodents and #insectpests to a minimum in the #landscape. Of course, those of the poisonous kind are best avoided. If #snakes aren't your thing, take comfort in knowing that they're normally only passing through and if left alone will go on about their business. 🐍