Veg and pests hints & tips

Vegetables

The harvesting season is now in full swing so make sure you pick crops that are ready. Leave them too long and they’ll lose flavour and tenderness. Now is a good time to sow endive, radish and spring cabbage for next year, or winter varieties of spinach and maincrop turnips. Having spent lots of time and effort growing your fruit and veg to perfection, protect it with fleece or small-mesh plastic netting or if you have a large area, put up a fruit cage.

Pest watch

Pests and diseases thrive in hot weather, so check plants regularly for tell-tale signs. Mildews and red spider mite are always worse in warm, dry conditions and these can soon get out of control. Earwigs eat the leaves and flower buds on plants like clematis, dahlias and chrysanthemums and even slugs and snails can be on the prowl at this time of year. If your plants have a problem, just ask one of our friendly staff to help you choose a suitable product to deal with it.

Vine weevil

As vine weevil beetles tend to lay eggs in late summer and early autumn it pays to protect vulnerable plants in pots – such as begonias, fuchsias, cyclamen and sedums – with Vine Weevil Killer. A wide range of pests can be controlled by spraying with Ultimate Bug Killer. Check out our range of biological controls for vine weevil and other common pests.