Fix a problem

A

• AntsTrails of ants farming aphids and scale for their honeydew, and nesting in dry beds.
• AphidsSoft green, black or grey clusters on new growth and under leaves.
• ArmywormsCaterpillars that strip leaves, lawns and seedlings overnight in warm, wet spells.

B

• Basil floweringLeaf slows and the flavour drops once basil is allowed to flower.
• Blossom end rotDark sunken patch on the base of tomatoes, capsicums and zucchini, from uneven watering.
• BoltingCoriander, lettuce and rocket run up to flower in warmth, long days and dry soil.
• Bronze orange bugLarge shield bugs on citrus that squirt a caustic spray, spring into summer.

C

• Cabbage white caterpillarsRagged holes in brassica leaves, green caterpillars on the undersides.
• Carrot flyRusty tunnels in carrot roots. Rare in Australia, but worth knowing the signs.
• Citrus gall waspWoody swellings along citrus stems, with tiny exit holes in spring.
• Citrus leaf minerSilvery, wiggling trails and curled, distorted new leaves on citrus.
• CutwormYoung seedlings cut off at the base overnight, a curled grey caterpillar in the soil.

D

• Damping offSeedlings pinch at soil level and topple in cold, wet, still air.
• Downy mildewYellow patches on top of the leaf with grey fuzz beneath, in cool damp weather.

E

• EarwigsSeedlings chewed to stumps overnight, no slime trail.

F

• Fruit flySting marks and maggots in tomatoes, capsicums and stone fruit in warm regions.
• Fruit not settingZucchini, pumpkin and cucumber open male flowers first, and wet or cold mornings keep the bees away.
• Fungus gnatsTiny dark flies drifting over damp seedling trays and potting mix.

G

• Garden weevilsNotched leaf edges by night, flightless weevils hiding in the mulch by day.
• Grasshoppers and locustsChewed leaves and stems in hot, dry weather, sometimes in plague numbers.
• Green vegetable bugShield-shaped green bugs that dimple and spot beans, tomatoes and more.

H

• Harlequin bugRed and black sap-sucking bugs that wilt shoots, mostly in warmer regions.

L

• Lace bugSilvered, stippled leaves with dark specks on the undersides.

M

• MealybugsCottony white clusters in leaf joints and on roots, sticky with honeydew.
• MillipedesDark, coiling crawlers in damp mulch, rasping soft growth and ripe fruit.
• Mosaic virusMottled yellow and green leaves on cucurbits, spread by aphids.

P

• Pea weevilGrubs inside stored pea seed, and notched leaf edges in spring.
• Pollinators missingA bed of leaves gives a bee no reason to stop.
• PossumsWhole seedlings and soft tips gone by morning, no slime trail.
• Powdery mildewWhite dust on zucchini, pumpkin and pea leaves late in the season.

R

• Rats and miceGnawed seed, fruit and pumpkins, with droppings and worn runways.
• Root-knot nematodeLumpy, knotted roots and plants that wilt on warm afternoons.
• Rutherglen bugSwarms of small grey-brown bugs on ripening crops in hot, dry summers.

S

• Scale insectsFixed brown or white bumps on stems and leaves, sticky with honeydew.
• Seedlings collapsing after planting outIndoor seedlings shrivel when moved straight into sun and wind.
• Seeds not coming upMost seed that never appears was sown too deep.
• SlatersGrey armoured crawlers in damp mulch, nibbling soft seedlings and fruit.
• Slugs and snailsHoles with silver slime trails, worst after rain.
• Soil too coldTomatoes and beans wait until the soil holds about 16 degrees.
• Spider mitesFine speckling and webbing under leaves in hot, dry spells.

T

• Thin, forked carrotsCrowded rows that were never thinned.
• ThripsSilvery streaks and tiny black specks on leaves and flowers, worst when dry.
• Tomato leaf problemsCurling, yellowing, spots or purpling on tomato leaves, and what each one means.

W

• WhiteflyClouds of tiny white insects rise when a leaf is brushed.

Y

• Yellowing lower leavesShallow watering or hungry soil, oldest leaves first.

• White oilAn oil spray that smothers scale, aphids, mealybugs and mites.
• Neem oilA plant-derived spray for soft pests, with limits on food crops.
• Pyrethrum sprayA fast plant-derived knockdown. Spray late in the day to spare bees.
• Garden hygieneClean tools and clear debris to stop pests and disease spreading.
• Trap cropsSacrificial plants like nasturtium that lure pests off your main crop.
• Deterring cats and birdsHumane, lawful ways to keep them off beds, including safe netting.
• Insect hotelShelter for native bees and the predators that keep pests down.