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Keeping pests away from vegetables
LittleLime48
Posts: 11
in Fruit & veg
Hi everyone,
We moved in to our first house last year and have waited until this year to start growing our own vegetables. We are giving it a good go by growing carrots, turnips, runner beans, beetroot, onions, garlic and peas.
Our concern is that we are completely new to this and we are a little unsure about how to keep pests away from any growing veg. We are looking after the onion and garlic by making sure that no birds disturb them, however, we are worried that we might get slugs and snails on the patch. Is there a way of preventing this other than netting? Not sure about pesticides etc with it being vegetables!
Any advice would be much appreciated 
Thanks
0
Posts
Netting is good to keep butterflies off things like cabbages, but it won't stop slugs and snails. The most effective remedy for those are nematodes, but those are fairly expensive. The cheapest option is to go out every evening as it's getting dark with a torch, a bucket (and gloves) and pick up (then dispose of by some means that your own squeamishness dictates) every slug or snail you see. You will eventually see a reduction in numbers.
You can lay fleece over the carrots to keep the carrot fly away. Or sow them right next to your onions and garlic - the smell of the garlic apparently disguises the carrot smell.
If you have space to do it, sow your beetroot and runner beans in small pots and don't plant them in the ground until they have grown big enough to be able to cope with a few nibbles.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Thanks raisingirl!