You need look no further than your pantry, medicine cabinet or seed catalogue for an arsenal of rough-and-ready remedies for many pests.
Aphids, mealybugs and other soft-bodied insects succumb instantly to a spray of soapy water. But don't spray young or tender plants or you may damage them.
Control onion fly maggots and bean weevils by scattering wood ashes around plants or on the foliage.
Queen Anne's lace, fennel and sage attract beneficial insects such as hover flies, lacewings and parasitic wasps and flies. Sit back and let them do some pest-control work for you.
