Spring menace can be foiled with IPM

It's the run up to spring in Australia and this signals acceleration of insect activity. We need to check temperatures, especially daily minimums, because as these rise, so do pest numbers.
Dont rush to chemical methods to control aphids, scale, mites and caterpillars, agrochemicals can poison your food and destroy beneficial insects like bees.
Use insects and biology to control pests and disease. You can buy tiny wasps to stop aphids and scale dead in their tracks. These are around 1mm in size and will not sting you, they are also cheap and convenient to buy and use. You can get them from www.goodbugs.org.au and these guys have a brilliant website to instruct you on release and care of your good bugs.
I can supply the biology for disease control on www.agrisense.com.au as well as attend to your plant nutrition, a vital aspect of plant health and disease resistance.
CALCIUM NUTRITION is another key technique in the battle against pests and diseases. Good calcium levels = great soil conditions and dense cellular pectin levels. Pectins don't just make jams, they make cells tough and unattractive to pests and diseases. (Like a tough steak) Lime your soil, 100 grams per square metre, use compost, find a good calcium Chelate...I sell one called Fert Cal...get it into your plants 1 gram per square metre monthly, don't neglect mulch and water as these are also crucial factors in plant health, (don't overwater) and watch things romp!
Remember the best fertiliser and pesticide is a gardeners shadow. Keep a daily eye on your crop, write things down as you see them happen and if you are in doubt ask me! Don't let weird changes turn into garden failures.