Pests and Diseases

Bayer Garden are launching a new range of Natural Garden Care products in time for the 2011 spring season.  The Natria range contain natural active ingredients which are at least as effective if not more so than their chemical equivalents.
Finally, a leading manufacturer has put together a group of effective, natural products and labelled them [...]

You might not think of daddy long legs as a regular garden pest, but their larvae; leatherjackets can cause real problems in your lawn.  The leatherjacket grub feeds on the roots of your grass causing yellow or brown patches which are often blamed on drought, dogs or wildlife.
Symptoms and Clues
Close up of a leatherjacket
Brown or [...]

With the weather warm but the ground still wet, the slug population are about in force.  There's a number of different slug killers and slug control products on the market today so here's a quick run down on my top 4 along with why and when they're best used.
1. Organic Slug Pellets
Certified as organic by [...]

Lawn Disease Control is a new product developed by Bayer Garden now available to the home garden market.  Lawn Disease Control treats common lawn problems like Red Thread and Fusarium which cause patches and discolouration in lawns.
Available in boxes containing 3 sachets which treat an area of 20sq m each (1 box treats 60sq m).
When [...]

Chafer Beetles
Chafer Grubs
If you're suffering from brown or yellow patches in your lawn you might be suffering from a common garden pest, the chafer grub.  Chafer grubs look like large maggots and are often mistaken for vine weevils.  They're usually found up to 6 inches below the surface on the lawn and feed on the [...]

Provado Lawn Grub Killer is a systemic insecticide for the treatment of chafer grubs and leatherjackets in lawns.  Lawn grub killer is highly effective agaist Chafer grubs (the larvae of Chafer Beetles) and Leatherjackets (the larvae of Daddy Longlegs).
Provado is most effective when used preventatively - ie before the pest has a chance to flourish [...]

What is Fusarium
Fusarium is a fungus which, although harmless, causes patches of discolouration and bare patches in lawns.  When fusarium first appears in a lawn, you may notice small, brown spots which rapidly spread and leave behind dead patches of grass.
This fungal disease is most often noticed in Autumn, usually October onwards but also in [...]

What is Red Thread
Red thread is a common lawn disease caused by a fungus.  The first signs of red thread infestation is small circular pink or bleached looking patches in the lawn.  The disease if left unchecked can rapidly expand into larger patches, leaving behind dead grass.
If you look closely at infected areas; small, red [...]