This involves dividing your vegetables into at least four groups that stay together each year but move onto the next part of the rotation every spring. The vegetables are grouped by family as well as similar feeding habits. Apart from being the best way to build soil fertility it is the most important factor in controlling the build up of pests and diseases. All organic growers practice crop rotation. For more information on crop rotation please see our fact sheet .
Barriers are the best way of reducing pest damage.
Simply by covering your vegetables with a fine mesh you will stop them being attacked by flying pests. This works well for carrot rootfly and pea moth. Fine mesh is also an all inclusive way of protecting your cabbages from just about everything. For example, flea beetles, leaf weevils, birds, cabbage white butterflies and white fly. O ther barriers include cabbage collars and bottle cloches.