Pests & Diseases

Whitefly rise in a cloud when you brush a plant and leave sticky honeydew behind. Here is how to control them without making the problem worse.

Spider mites speckle leaves and spin fine webbing in hot, dry weather. Here is how to spot them and why a general insecticide often makes it worse.

Root-knot nematodes gall the roots so plants wilt in the heat and carrots fork. Here is how to recognise the damage and run the population down.

Mosaic virus mottles leaves and warps fruit, and there is no cure. Here is how to recognise it, stop it spreading, and start clean next season.

Fruit fly can ruin homegrown fruit and fruiting vegetables. Here is how to keep the flies off, break the cycle, and dispose of affected fruit safely.

Not every earwig is a pest. Here is how to tell the helpful natives from the introduced European earwig, and how to protect seedlings if you need to.

Downy mildew shows as yellow angular patches on top of the leaf and grey fuzz beneath. Here is how to tell it from powdery mildew and manage it.

The holes in your cabbages and broccoli are the work of two caterpillars. Here is how to tell them apart and keep them off, mostly without spraying.

Aphids cluster on soft new growth and multiply fast in spring. Here is how to spot them, control them organically, and keep them from coming back.

Powdery mildew, blossom end rot, yellowing leaves and bolting all look alike but have different causes. Here is how to read each one and what to do.

Possums and birds raiding your veggies? Here is how to keep them out humanely and lawfully, with wildlife-safe netting and simple exclusion.

Most pest problems are solved by a healthy patch, not a spray. Here is how to manage common garden pests in Australia without harsh chemicals.