Pests & Diseases

A neat hole in a green tomato or a caterpillar in the tip of a corn cob? Here is how to identify Helicoverpa, catch it early and choose targeted controls.

Healthy looking tomatoes, eggplants and cucurbits that wilt in the afternoon, recover overnight and then collapse are often hosting a soil pathogen, not going thirsty. Here are the bench checks that separate the three vascular wilts from the look-alikes, what to do with the plant and the bed, and which wilt is likely where you garden.

Fat white grubs with brown heads are scarab beetle larvae, and Australia has at least 2,300 scarab species, few of them pests. Learn the species that matter, how to tell a root eater from a decomposer, how many is too many, and what is actually registered here.

Gardening with possums, not against them If you garden near bushland, a creek line, a golf course or an older street with big trees, you are garden...

Woody lumps on citrus stems may be citrus gall wasp. Learn how to spot active galls, when your state recommends pruning or peeling, and how to treat cut galls before disposal.

A useful insect hotel needs the right holes and stems, a sheltered spot and flowers nearby. Learn how to build one and look after it without harming developing bees.

Protect seedbeds and crops with covers, coarse mulch and properly installed wildlife-safe netting, and check the netting rules that apply where you garden.

Trap crops can draw a pest away from your main crop, but results depend on the pest, the plant and your timing. Learn what to check and when a trap needs attention.

Clean tools, sensible watering and the right disposal of infected plants and fruit can reduce pest and disease risks. Here is how to match each habit to the problem.

Pyrethrum is a fast natural knockdown made from the pyrethrum daisy, but it is broad-spectrum and kills bees and beneficials. Here is how to use it as a careful last resort.

Neem oil works slowly, by disrupting insect feeding and growth. In Australia it is registered for ornamentals only, so here is how to use it properly.

White oil is a simple horticultural oil that smothers scale, aphids, mealybugs and mites. Here is how to make it, what it controls, and the heat rule that avoids leaf burn.