ALLOTMENT HUB UK
Identify problems, protect your crops and keep your plot under control.
Weeds & Pests helps you explore common allotment weeds and pests, recognise signs and damage, and find practical information about prevention and control.
Signed-in growers can also see relevant risks based on crops in My Crops where the current recommendations support them.
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Browse common allotment weeds and pests and learn how to recognise and manage them.
Identify common weeds and find the best way to control them.
BindweedPerennial · PersistentTwines through crops and regrows from small root fragments.
Couch grassPerennial · PersistentRhizomes run beneath beds and send up new shoots among crops.
Ground elderPerennial · PersistentIt forms dense carpets that compete strongly with shallow rooted crops.
HorsetailPerennial · PersistentDeep brittle roots make it persistent, especially on compact or damp ground.
Creeping buttercupPerennial · PersistentRunners root at nodes and quickly occupy damp, fertile edges.
DandelionPerennial · ModerateLarge taproots regrow if only the crown is removed.
DockPerennial · PersistentBroad leaves shade crops and established roots are difficult to pull intact.
NettlesPerennial · PersistentDense patches compete for space and can sting while you work.
ChickweedAnnual · EasyFast seed production lets it carpet moist, fertile soil around seedlings.
Hairy bittercressAnnual · EasySmall plants mature quickly in trays, paths and damp beds.
Annual meadow grassAnnual · EasyIt colonises paths and newly cultivated soil, competing with small crops.
CleaversAnnual · EasyClinging stems scramble through crops and spread seed on clothing and animals.
Fat henAnnual · EasyFast growing seedlings compete strongly with young vegetables on fertile ground.
GroundselAnnual · EasyIt flowers and sets seed quickly in beds, paths and containers.
Shepherd’s purseAnnual · EasyA rosette and tall seed stalk can occupy freshly cultivated soil.
Rosebay willowherbPerennial · PersistentTall colonies shade crops and quickly colonise disturbed allotment edges.
Creeping thistlePerennial · PersistentDeep roots and spreading shoots form persistent patches among crops.
Spear thistleBiennial · ModerateA large prickly rosette and tall flowering stem can dominate neglected ground.
Sow thistleAnnual or biennial · EasySoft stems and deep roots compete with crops and spread fluffy seed.
Oxalis / wood sorrelPerennial · PersistentSmall clumps spread through beds, pots and paths and are easy to miss.
SpeedwellAnnual or perennial · EasyLow mats spread across paths and compete with small seedlings.
PlantainPerennial · ModerateRosettes tolerate trampling and establish in compacted paths and bed edges.
Herb RobertAnnual or biennial · EasyIt self-seeds around shaded edges, paths and neglected corners.
Ground ivyPerennial · PersistentTrailing stems root at nodes and form mats through beds and borders.
Common field poppyAnnual · EasyBright flowers can produce abundant seed in freshly disturbed allotment soil.
BittercressAnnual · EasyTiny plants colonise damp greenhouse surfaces, pots and paths rapidly.
Curled dockPerennial · PersistentDeep roots and prolific seed let it persist on fertile, disturbed ground.
Common oracheAnnual · EasyFast-growing plants compete with young crops on fertile allotment soil.
Field bindweedPerennial · PersistentLow twining stems spread through beds and regrow from small root fragments.
Hedge bindweedPerennial · PersistentLarge vigorous stems smother crops, hedges and supports.
Lesser celandinePerennial · PersistentGlossy mats can occupy damp edges and return from small underground tubers.See what may be damaging your crops and how to manage it.
Slugs and snailsMost young crops, salads, potatoes and strawberriesIrregular holes, shredded seedlings and overnight losses.
AphidsTomatoes, chillies, beans, peas, apples and herbsSticky honeydew, curled growth and distorted young leaves.
Cabbage white butterflies and caterpillarsCabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower and other brassicasHoles and skeletonised leaves, sometimes heavy defoliation.
Carrot flyCarrots, parsnips and related umbellifersRust coloured tunnels and poor roots, often with damaged foliage above.
Pea and bean weevilPeas, broad beans and French or runner beansDistinctive U shaped notches, usually on young leaves.
Onion fly and allium leaf minerOnions, garlic, leeks and other alliumsWilted leaves, tunnels and rotting bulbs or stems.
Vine weevilStrawberries, container plants and ornamental cropsPlants wilt as roots are eaten, especially in containers and strawberries.
Red spider miteCucumbers, tomatoes, chillies and protected cropsStippled leaves, bronzing and weakened plants in hot dry conditions.
WirewormPotatoes, carrots and other root cropsNarrow holes and tunnels through potatoes and roots.
Codling mothApples and sometimes pearsEntry holes, frass and brown internal tunnels in fruit.
Pigeons and other birdsBrassicas, peas, strawberries and soft fruitStripped brassicas, damaged peas and pecked fruit.
CutwormsSeedlings and newly transplanted vegetablesYoung plants severed at soil level overnight.
Black bean aphidRunner beans, French beans and broad beansCurled shoots, sticky honeydew and weak flowering tips.
Cabbage root flyCabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and other brassicasWilting, blue-green leaves and tunnels or maggots around the root collar.
Cabbage whiteflyKale, cabbage, sprouts and other brassicasSap loss, sticky honeydew and sooty mould on older leaves.
Flea beetlesBrassicas, rocket and young leafy cropsMany small shot holes in leaves, worst on young brassicas and rocket.
Pea mothPeasMaggot-like larvae and damaged peas within pods.
LeatherjacketsSeedlings, salads, potatoes and young vegetablesSeedlings wilt or disappear as roots and stems are chewed below ground.
Potato cyst nematodesPotatoes and tomatoesStunted plants, yellowing and poor tuber yields in patches.
Apple sawflyApplesCorky scars, winding grooves and premature fruit drop.
Woolly aphidApples and some ornamental hostsGalls, cracked bark and weakened young growth.
Capsid bugsApples, strawberries, beans and herbsDistorted tips, holes and corky marks on fruit or foliage.
Leaf minersSalads, spinach, chard and some herbsTrails and blotches in leaves, especially on salads and leafy crops.
RabbitsMost vegetables, fruit trees and young plantsYoung plants and bark are eaten, often overnight.
MiceSown seed, peas, beans, sweetcorn and stored cropsSeeds are removed, seedlings nibbled and stored produce damaged.
VolesRoot crops, alliums, strawberries and young treesRoots, bulbs and bark are chewed; plants may wilt suddenly.
ThripsChillies, peppers, cucumbers, onions and protected cropsSilvery streaks, distorted growth and black specks of droppings.
Greenhouse whiteflyTomatoes, cucumbers, chillies and ornamentals under coverHoneydew, sooty mould and weakened protected crops.
SnailsSalads, brassicas, strawberries and seedlingsIrregular holes and ragged young leaves, often after damp nights.
Onion thripsOnions, garlic, leeks and alliumsSilvery streaks, twisted leaves and reduced bulb growth.WEEDING METHODS
Match the method to the weed, soil and stage of growth.
Best for: Small annual weeds and loose rooted seedlings.
Avoid for: Large patches of deep rooted perennials.
When: After rain when the soil releases roots.
Effort: Low · Speed: Immediate
Long-term: Good when repeated before seed set.
Precise around crops. Slow on a neglected bed.Best for: Young annual weeds between rows.
Avoid for: Wet soil or weeds close to shallow roots.
When: On a dry day while weeds are small.
Effort: Low · Speed: Immediate
Long-term: Excellent little-and-often control.
Fast and low disturbance. Misses established roots.Best for: Taproots, crowns and rhizomatous weeds.
Avoid for: Dense crops where roots are intertwined.
When: Before planting or after rain.
Effort: High · Speed: One session plus checks
Long-term: Strong if every root is removed.
Removes the source. Can disturb soil and crop roots.Best for: Bare beds, paths and persistent infestations.
Avoid for: Freshly sown rows needing light.
When: After clearing and before regrowth.
Effort: Medium · Speed: Several weeks
Long-term: Very good while cover remains intact.
Suppresses light and saves time. Needs checking at edges.Best for: Weedy ground before sowing.
Avoid for: Beds needed immediately.
When: Prepare, water, wait, then hoe before sowing.
Effort: Medium · Speed: 2–4 weeks
Long-term: Reduces early competition, not perennial weeds.
Reduces the first flush. Requires planning.Best for: Tall perennial weeds where roots cannot yet be lifted.
Avoid for: Annual weeds already carrying seed.
When: Cut regrowth before flowering throughout the season.
Effort: Medium · Speed: Months
Long-term: Useful suppression for persistent patches.
Gradually weakens reserves. Requires patience and repeat visits.Little and often works best: remove seedlings before they establish, hoe open ground in suitable dry conditions, mulch exposed soil and keep paths from reseeding beds. Treat bindweed, couch grass and other persistent weeds separately—dig or cover carefully and expect repeat visits.
5 minutes: check paths and bed edges. 10 minutes: hoe small annual weeds between established crops. 10 minutes: hand-remove weeds close to crops. 5 minutes: check persistent weeds and remove regrowth.
Rotate crops, keep spacing sensible, inspect plants regularly, use mesh or fleece where it helps, control weeds before they seed and protect habitat for natural predators.