The Four Horsemen of the Apocalyptic Allotment!   Weeds, bugs, disease, and slugs.

• Three excellent resources - The HDRA; and Organic UK - an independent source of advice and information on organic growing.
• The Pesticides Action Network - UK; information about chemical formulations used in gardening and agriculture - is the "cure" worse than the pest?   Rachel Carson's Silent Spring in the 21st century.
  • PAN factsheet on Paraquat; thinking about using Weedol?
  • PAN factsheet on Glyphosate; thinking about using Roundup?
• OISAT - Online Information Service for non-Chemical Pest Management in the Tropics; despite the title, a wonderful resource on "alternative" (mostly home-made) methods of dealing with pests and diseases; a project of PAN Germany.
  

• Slugs

  • Know your enemy - Dr Bill Symondson's superb article on slugs and slug control methods - balanced, easy to read, and practical.
  • Slug and Snail Trail; all you ever needed or wanted to know about getting rid of the little (?) "beasts".
  • An excellent page from the Centre for Alternative Technology - includes using wilted comfrey leaves as a "honey-trap".
  • HDRA factsheet on Biological Control of Slugs - using nematodes.
  • An organic site with lots of methods listed - includes using chopsticks to pick them off at night!
  • Pesticide Action Network - Slug and Snail Control, the least toxic options; and information on metaldehyde
  • The Biology of Slugs; seems a shame (well - almost!) to kill such inventive little critturs!
    
  • My Slugs Page
  
  
• An identification guide for pests, from INRA - good for picture links, and background information on pest life-cycles.   Don't be put off by the French - scroll down to the Union Jack, and click on the links to English language files.
• An identification guide for diseases, also from INRA - good for picture links, and background information on diseases; same thing - scroll down to the Union Jack, and click on the links to English language files.
• What is this caterpillar? - helpful pages for identifying garden and other caterpillars.
• HDRA Organic Weed Management - good source of information on weeds and their control, with useful links; it is written for farmers, though, and requires some "translation".
• The Seed Site - a handy identification guide to weeds.
• Weeds as Indicators of Soil Conditions - a superbly different perspective on weeds, and their place on the allotment!
• Down Gardening Services - very useful.   Identification guides for weeds of the British Isles, and for plant diseases; easy to read, and very clear photographs.
• The Harlequin Ladybird Survey - a threat to ladybirds native to the UK.