A gardener has shown how you can make your own plant protection from pests using a few items.
Gardeners will know the frustration of taking the time and effort to work on their garden and grow new plants only for pests to come along and start ruining them. Certain insects are common garden pests as well as animals such as rats, mice and cats.
Glen is a home gardener known as @thegrowdenwithglen on TikTok. He shares gardening tips and tricks with his followers on the social media platform.
He posted a video on TikTok showing how he protected his raised garden bed from pests. The planter said for this method you will need a garden cane, some lightweight tubing “from any hardware store which is cheap as chips”, some netting that he bought online for “pretty cheap” and some sharp secateurs.
Glen starts by cutting equal lengths of the cane and puts one cane in each corner of the garden bed and one in the middle. He cut the garden cane into six equal length pieces.
The gardener explained that the cane in the middle will support the tubing. Next, he says to get the tubing and “cut it to the correct length so you get the correct height” then slide it on top of the canes.
Glen added: “This will then build the structure of the supportive frame which is going to give it aeration and support the net. Tie a knot at the end of the netting and then simply stretch the netting over the frame and you [have] protected your plants for a fraction of the price.”
Gardening company Vitax has shared some advice on how to protect plants from pests. Like Glen, it also recommends creating a barrier.
On its website Vitax states: “In some cases a physical barrier is very effective in preventing attack. For example fine mesh or horticultural fleece placed around plants can prevent insects from feeding and laying their eggs. This is used on some vegetable crops such as carrots, to prevent carrot fly and brassicas to keep the cabbage white butterfly at bay.”
RSPB has also given some tips on how to control pests in your garden. It suggests “mixing up what you grow” by growing a variety of plants because if you grow “rows and rows of one thing, chances are that some creepy crawlies will take a liking to it.”
However, if you grow a range of plants that are all mixed together pests “won’t have such a free for all.” Another piece of advice RSPB gives is to encourage predators.
It explains: “By encouraging natural predators of any specific pest into the area, the pest in question will be controlled. Ladybirds, lacewings, frogs, Hedgehogs and birds are all great at limiting numbers of garden pests such as aphids and slugs.”
Other home gardeners who saw Glen’s TikTok video are impressed by his technique. One said: “Thanks for this video. Bought expensive plastic cover last year and it’s broken with holes all over. I’ll try your method, looks good!” Another added: “Like the idea and looks good and tidy.”
