Resources for Allotmenteers

Explore our collection of gardening resources featuring a comprehensive month-by-month allotment calendar and expert guidance on identifying and dealing with common garden pests to protect your harvest.

Month by Month

Pests and
How to Protect
your Crops

There is nothing more disheartening than growing a crop from seed, lovingly nurturing it, hardening it off and planting out only for it to be eaten or trampled! A large part of managing an allotment is understanding how to work with nature and protect from the worst offenders, These are the worst of the 'pests' at Woodclyffe and what some of our allotmenteers do to mitigate the challenges.

Birds

Birds are a natural and welcome part of any allotment. They help control pests like slugs and insects, but they can also cause damage, especially to young plants and ripening crops.

The key is to protect vulnerable stages of growth while still allowing birds to play their beneficial role.

Netting (most effective)

Use fine mesh netting over crops like brassicas and fruit
Ensure it is pulled tight to prevent birds getting trapped
Secure edges well to stop birds getting underneath

💡 This is the most reliable method, especially for pigeons.

Cover young plants early

Seedlings are highly vulnerable.

Use fleece or mesh covers after planting
Protect until plants are strong and established

Use supports for netting

Build simple frames using canes or hoops
Keeps netting off plants and prevents damage
Makes harvesting easier too

Visual deterrents (limited but helpful)

Reflective tape or old CDs
Scarecrows or moving objects (These work best when moved regularly as birds quickly get used to them)

Grow sacrificial crops

Leave a small area of less important crops or wild plants
Can distract birds from your main harvest

Crops Birds Love (Protect These!)

Birds are particularly drawn to:

Brassicas (cabbage, kale, broccoli, sprouts)
Peas and young bean shoots
Sweetcorn
Soft fruit (strawberries, raspberries, currants)
Newly planted seedlings of almost any crop

Pigeons, in particular, can strip brassicas very quickly.

Crops Birds Tend to Avoid

Birds are less interested in crops with strong smells or tougher leaves:

More bird-resistant crops:

Onions
Garlic
Leeks
Shallots
Chives
Herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage
Rhubarb

Often less affected:

Potatoes
Courgettes and squash
Tomatoes (until fruit ripens)

Top Tip

Focus your protection on:

young plants
leafy crops
ripening fruit

Once plants are mature, they’re usually far less vulnerable.

Slugs

Slugs are one of the most common allotment pests, especially in damp UK conditions. They thrive in cool, moist environments and can quickly damage young plants overnight. The key is not to eliminate them entirely (which is unrealistic), but to manage and reduce damage effectively.

Remove hiding places

Slugs love dark, damp shelter.

Clear away weeds, debris, and old leaves
Avoid leaving boards, pots or dense ground cover lying around
Space plants well to improve airflow

Water wisely

Water in the morning, not evening. This allows the soil surface to dry before night (when slugs feed)

Use physical barriers

These are one of the most effective methods:

Copper tape or rings around pots and raised beds
Crushed eggshells, grit or wool pellets (less reliable but can help)
Beer traps (sink a container into the soil, slugs are attracted and drown)

Protect young plants

Seedlings are most vulnerable.

Use cloches or mesh covers
Start plants in pots and transplant when larger
Plant out strong, established seedlings rather than tiny ones

Encourage natural predators

Let nature help you:

Frogs, toads, hedgehogs and birds all eat slugs
Create habitats like small ponds, log piles or wild corners

Night-time checks (surprisingly effective!)

Go out at dusk with a torch
Remove slugs by hand (gloves recommended!)

Crops Slugs Love (Protect These!)

These are most at risk:

Lettuce and salad leaves
Spinach
Young brassicas
Beans and peas (especially seedlings)
Strawberries

Crops Slugs Tend to Avoid

Slugs usually avoid plants with strong flavours, tough leaves or hairy textures:

More slug-resistant crops:

Onions
Garlic
Leeks
Chives
Spring onions
Asparagus
Beetroot (once established)
Fennel
Herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage and lavender

Deer

There are a large number of deer in the area and at certain times of the year they are unwelcome visitors on the allotment site.

Deer-Resistant Vegetables for the Allotment

No vegetable is completely deer-proof, especially if food is scarce, but deer usually avoid crops with a strong smell, rough or hairy leaves, or an unpleasant taste. The most reliable options for a deer-prone plot are onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, chives, asparagus and rhubarb.

You may also find deer are less interested in globe artichokes, fennel, dill, cucumbers, squash and pumpkins, particularly once the plants are larger and their foliage is rougher or pricklier. Strongly scented herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, mint and oregano can also help around the edges of beds.

The crops deer are most likely to go for are usually the soft, tender ones, including beans, peas, lettuces and other salad leaves, brassicas, spinach and sweetcorn. Physical protection using netting is the most dependable answer, since deer will feed on a wide range of plants.

Vegetables deer are less likely to eat

Onions
Garlic
Leeks
Shallots
Chives
Asparagus
Rhubarb
Globe artichokes
Fennel
Cucumbers
Squash and pumpkins