7 pet-friendly ways to keep your garden pest free
Naomi Saunders, expert gardener and presenter of S4C's Garddio a Mwy, shares her tips on how to keep your garden pest-free without sacrificing its pet-friendly atmosphere in this blog. Whether you're dealing with pesky aphids, gluttonous slugs, or curious pets, Naomi's got some great advice to help you strike the perfect balance.
Growing up, we’ve always had pets – cats, dogs, sheep and chickens, and between my parents’ smallholding and my little cottage, we currently have four dogs, four cats (including two kittens), three sheep and five chickens. People are often shocked when they find out I have so many pets, but my heart truly beats for all animals and, as a gardener, this comes with its responsibilities.
Weeds, pests and plant diseases can cause gardeners a lot of stress, and this year has been a particularly tough year for growers. Many might be tempted to use pesticides for a quick fix, however many of these substances aren’t pet-friendly and can harm wildlife, even those labelled as ‘eco-friendly’.
Our garden regularly sees our pets digging, rolling on the lawn and running in the grass, which can put them at risk as they can pick up herbicides and pesticides this way – the substances can transfer to their paws and fur, and be ingested when they groom themselves.
1: Homemade Sprays: Natural pest deterrents can be created from ingredients in your kitchen like garlic, chilli or soap. A salt spray can be used to combat weeds, a garlic spray scan help with fungal, viral, or bacterial diseases on plants, as well as deter insects due to its strong fragrance, and a mixture of water and dish soap can discourage soft-bodied bugs. These super easy recipes can be found here.
2: Natural Barriers: Using physical barriers like netting, copper tape, or organic items like wool or eggshells (which create a sharp surface that slugs don’t like) can protect plants from pests.
3: Beer traps and nematodes – my favourite combination: Beer traps are an effective way to tackle slugs. Drawn by the sweet smell, slugs will avoid your plants in favour of the traps which you can easily make by filling a glass jar with beer and half planting it in the ground. If your furry ones tend to eat and drink things they shouldn’t, then you can buy pyramid slug traps which are just as effective but more difficult for your pets to drink from. Nematodes, parasitic bugs naturally found in the earth, can tackle slugs underneath the soil. You can find nematodes in your local garden centre and prepare a stock to treat your garden every 4-6 weeks during warmer months – check out my blog for combatting slugs without pesticides here.
4: Companion Planting: Planting certain plants together can deter pests. Strongly scented plants like dill, lavender, mint and thyme can confuse or repel pests, protecting adjacent plants. Marigolds deter aphids or whitefly from tomatoes or beans while lavender’s potent smell deters slugs and moth caterpillars. Other companion plants can act as sacrificial plants, so insects don’t eat the ‘important’ one – nasturtium can be used to attract blackfly and cabbage white butterfly.
5: Beneficial Insects: Making your garden a haven for pest predators like hoverflies, lacewings and parasitic wasps that eat the likes of aphids and caterpillars, is another trick I like to use. Yarrow, dill and marigolds are plants which attract these garden warriors. To encourage beneficial insects in your space check out this best practice guide from fellow gardener Huw Richards.
6: Grow wild areas: Keeping some areas of your garden overgrown will create natural habitats that attract predators like frogs, birds and hedgehogs who will eat pests, while supporting your garden’s ecosystem. It also saves time and effort with the mowing and weeding, so it’s a win-win!
Mulching: Generously mulching your garden (covering the soil with a loose layer of materials that have natural minerals and oils) will tackle unwanted weeds and insects. It will also help the soil retain moisture, keeping it healthy, and break down over time, adding valuable nutrients into the soil.
Click here to download our guide with tips for creating your own wild space
