Pests & Diseases
Armyworms: Preventing and Controlling Their Damage
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 18 March 2021
Armyworms are a group of caterpillar species which can lay waste to a garden. Although they prefer to feed on grasses and grains, any leafy plant is at risk if there's a serious infestation. This article explains the damage these bugs can do.
Plant-Parasitic Nematodes
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 28 February 2021
Nematodes are class of tiny worm-like creatures which are present in most soils. While some species are allies in the fight against pests, other species cause problems of their own. This article explains why and gives tips on reducing the damage.
How to Protect Your Pea Plants from Pea Beetle Damage
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 13 January 2021
Pea beetles are a legume-loving pest that can lay waste to a pea crop both before and after harvest. This article describes the damage these bugs can do, and provides tips on reducing the problems they cause.
Garden Weevils: Flightless but Voracious Insect Pests
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 24 December 2020
Garden weevils can be a major problem for veggie growers if a population climbs out of control. This article describes how to identify the insect, recognise the damage it causes, and keep its numbers in check.
What Is Damping Off, and How Can You Avoid It?
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 17 November 2020
Damping off is a fungal disease which can kill seedlings almost without warning. This article describes how to avoid the conditions which increase the risks, and what to do if you spot the symptoms in your seedlings.
Fungus Gnats: Combining Annoyance and Unseen Danger
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 28 October 2020
Fungus gnats are tiny black flies most often seen buzzing around houseplants and greenhouse containers. And while they might be an annoyance in adult form, their young can seriously harm your plants. This article explains the damage the insects can do.
How to Keep Millipede Numbers Under Control
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 5 May 2020
Millipedes are a beneficial part of a balanced garden ecosystem, helping turn dead plant matter into fertile soil. But unfortunately, if other food is scarce, they can start to feed on your plants too.
How to Protect Beans, Peas, Tomatoes and other Crops from the Green Vegetable Bug
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 20 March 2020
If you grow beans, peas, tomatoes or other legumes, you're likely to be visited by green vegetable bugs at some stage. What damage do these pests do, and how can you keep it to a minimum?
What is Blossom End Rot, and How Can You Cure It?
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 31 January 2020
If your tomatoes & other fruits seem to be spoiling from the base upward as they grow, the chances are they're suffering from a condition known as blossom end rot. Thankfully, despite its appearance, it's a problem that's relatively easy to cure.
Scale Insects: A Garden Pest with Many Disguises
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 22 December 2019
Scale are common garden pests which can badly stunt a plant's growth, ruin its appearance, or even kill it off altogether. This article explains how to recognise scale, what kinds of damage they do, and how to keep their numbers under control.
How to Keep Slater Numbers Under Control
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 23 November 2019
Slaters normally play a hugely beneficial role in your garden. However, if conditions are too comfortable for them their numbers can quickly get out of hand, and they'll start to have a negative impact.
Dealing with Slugs and Snails: The Gardener's Scourge
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 29 October 2019
Slugs and snails are perhaps the most common and most despised garden pests of all. They can cause incredible damage and are almost impossible to eliminate. However, there are many ways of keeping the population under control, as this article explains.
Earwig, Friend or Foe? - Why the Earwig's Reputation as a Pest is Exaggerated
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 25 September 2019
Excessive infestations can cause damage but a normal-sized population's benefits for a garden outweigh the drawbacks. This article explains why, and gives tips on keeping numbers to a beneficial level.
Controlling Whitefly Without Chemical Pesticides
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 15 August 2019
Whitefly may not be as well known as their close cousins aphids, but they can cause at least as many problems if they infest your vegetable garden. This article explains how to recognise these insects, & how to limit the damage they can do to your plant.
Ants in the Garden: a Mixture of Friend and Foe
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 30 July 2019
Ants are an essential part of the ecosystem but if your garden's population gets out of control, you'll need to deal with the problem. This article explains why heavy infestations are harmful, and offers eco-friendly ways of dealing with them.
Rust Fungus: Controlling and Preventing Infection in the Garden
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 28 June 2019
Rust fungus infection is a common problem for home gardeners. Although it's very difficult to clear completely from a garden, it can be managed and controlled fairly effectively, as this article explains.
Possum Problems? How to Deter Them Without Causing Harm
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 24 June 2019
Possums love feasting on new growth and ripening fruit, the damage they cause during their nocturnal adventures can be enormous. However, it's possible to deter them using natural, harmless methods and this article explains how.
Yellowing Veggie Leaves
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 30 March 2019
If your plants' leaves are pale and yellow rather than a healthy, vibrant green, does this mean your crop is a failure, good only for the compost heap? Not necessarily. It depends mainly on what caused the problem, as this article explains.
A Veggie Gardener's Guide to Cabbage Moths, Butterflies, and Caterpillars
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 26 March 2019
The larvae of cabbage moths can lay waste to your carefully cultivated brassicas in a few short days. This article explains how to protect your patch against these voracious pests.
Aphids: Dealing With a Sap-Sucking Insect Invasion
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 21 March 2019
While there are many commercial pesticides and other products available to control an aphid infestation, there's plenty that a gardener can do without resorting to chemicals. This article gives valuable real-world tips on preventing aphid infestations.
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How to Build a Beer Trap - The Home-Brewed Approach to Slug and Snail Control
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 29 August 2018
Slugs and snails are the bane of many a gardener's life. There are few things more frustrating than finding a row of seedlings demolished within just a few hours. Beer traps are a safe and economical way to help keep them in check.
Integrated Pest Management for Home Gardeners
Author: John Mauger Date Posted: 22 June 2017
Integrated pest management is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, etc.
Starting an Organic Garden
Author: Jennifer Charlotte Date Posted: 1 March 2017
At first the prospect of starting an organic garden can seem daunting to the novice gardener but once you have a basic understanding of standard terms and techniques, you'll quickly find that going green in your garden is simple, healthy, and fun.
Dealing with Slugs and Snails in an Organic Garden
Author: Bill Date Posted: 24 February 2017
Slugs and snails will be part of a healthy ecosystem in many gardens and having some will usually be a fact of life. That said, you will have to control populations if they are too large. Snails can cause a lot of damage especially to young seedlings.
Food for the Soil
Author: John Mauger Date Posted: 24 March 2016
The addition of organic material to soil improves soil structure, water-holding ability and soil activity. This article documents many common and not so common materials from around the home and garden that can be used to improve your soil.
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Mustard: More than Just a Spicy Condiment
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 19 April 2021
If you're keen on mustard's tangy flavour, it's easy to grow a wide range of varieties in your garden. This article explains all you need to know, whether you're growing mustard for its tasty leaves or fiery seeds.
Garden Tips- April 2021
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 1 April 2021
While your overall gardening activity might be slowing down as winter approaches, April is still an incredibly important month. The gardening hours you put in now will pay huge rewards over winter.
How to Sharpen Secateurs with a Tungsten Tool Sharpener
Date Posted: 31 March 2021
Sharpening secateurs, shears, knives, scissors, and many other gardening tools is straightforward using a specialised sharpener tool. And unlike using many mechanical blade grinders, there's no need to disassemble the secateurs first. Here's what to do.
Kale: Much More Than a Superfood Cliche
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 26 March 2021
Kale is nutritious, versatile and easy to grow. What's more, homegrown offers vastly better taste and texture than the coarse, bitter leaves too often found in stores. This article gives a guide to growing, harvesting, and using kale to enjoy it.
Armyworms: Preventing and Controlling Their Damage
Author: The Seed Collection Pty Ltd Date Posted: 18 March 2021
Armyworms are a group of caterpillar species which can lay waste to a garden. Although they prefer to feed on grasses and grains, any leafy plant is at risk if there's a serious infestation. This article explains the damage these bugs can do.
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