How can I plant some vegetable plants outside and stop them from being eaten by slugs, flies and other things?

Question

How can I plant some vegetable plants outside and stop them from being eaten by slugs, flies and other things?

Without the use of pesticides?

BTW - I live in England

Answer 1

The fastest way if i will say is the use of insecticide, but also not the only way.You can plant your vegetables outside and stop them from being eating by flies slugs etc using the biological methode,that is by the introduction of natural enemies of such pest, so as to destroy and eat them up.Study the pest and get its predator and you will see the magic.

Answer 2

Introduce other insects that eat them.

Answer 3

very tough job. try some mesh etc.

Answer 4

Slug traps can be made out of short cans that have old beer in them. Also, keep weeds away from your plants so they have no place to hide and a "road" to your protected veggies. You can line your beds with old wood that has been soaked in heavy salted water as they hate salt. Also try diatomacious earth which is tiny sea animal shells that are silica based, like crushed glass in nature. It will cut and desiccate the slugs. Keep dead plant material away from your veggies and keep them clean as that is what draws the slugs. Set up a bird feeder in your garden and encourage the birds to enjoy the slugs. Other types of pests all have similar controls. Small bugs are eaten by ladybugs (ladybird beetles) and you can buy those. Sticky traps work as well as the big sticky balls that look like sticky apples but they are more to catch and sample what is around in the garden so you have a "heads up" and early warning about what to expect next. Get a good book like Don Wymans "Garden Problem Solver". You need to have a plant by plant problem guide as all are different.

Answer 5

Plant marigolds with your veggies. Insects will take the flowers over the veggie plants, but the marigolds contain a natural pest controller. It also keeps away rabbits and deer as they don't like the taste of the marigolds and the smell repels them.

If you have access to Borax, which is a laundry aid made with boric acid, it's not toxic to us but it is to bugs (great for killing cockroaches BTW) you can sprinkle it in a circle around your plants and it will keep ants and earwigs from bothering your plants.

You can handle slugs by putting an aluminium pie tin in the ground with a little water in the top. The slugs will fall in there and stay off your plants.

Flies are actually good for the plants as they help with pollination. But if they get overwhelming, there are non-chemical fly traps (plastic bags with honey in them where the flies get in but can't get back out). You can always hang a few of them inconspicuously.

Answer 6

pouch chewing tobacco wraped in a stocking; soak it over night in two cans of flat beer; add one cup of anticeptice mouthwash and one tablespoon of dish soap;. take out the stocking  filled with tabacco and put it all in a hose-end sprayer. soak the crops down with that once a week.