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Turn over a leaf and you'll see 2mm long white flies. With a life cycle of just three weeks, whitefly breed very fast. Both adults and offspring are sap feeders and a severe attack will weaken a plant. They excrete the sticky excess, called honeydew

Sap-sucking insects of the family Aleyrodidae. A particular pest of the greenhouse, whitefly can be very destructive.

greenhouse tomatoes to deter whiteflySet up a 'watering bench' using capillary matting to look after pot plantsSow seeds of Christmas cherry (solanum) to grow as winter pot plantsHang yellow sticky traps in the greenhouse to help control whitefly Thin out

garden pestsAphidsMealybugsWhiteflyScale insectsChoose plants to grow in full sunBrowse plants by soil type

of agapanthus, nerines and tulbaghia to grow in pots for summer colourCheck plants regularly for signs of pestsHang yellow sticky traps among plants to catch whitefly and other flying pests

, including African violets, begonias and Cape primroseHang yellow sticky traps over plants to catch whitefly and flying pestsSow seeds of herbs, such as parsley, chives, coriander, garlic, basil, dill, fennel, mint, thyme, sage and lovage

Water crops in growing bags and pots daily, adding a liquid feed once a weekIntroduce biological controls if you have discovered pests, such as whitefly and red spider mitePinch out developing sideshoots on tomato stemsTrain cucumbers and tomatoes

Plant bulbs, corms and tubers like achimenes, begonias, gloxinias in potsSow coleus and other houseplantsWatch out for pests, like whitefly and red spider mite, and treat at oncePut a mouse trap in your greenhouse if you find seeds and plants being

and on shoot tips for signs of whitefly or red spider mite. Treat immediately, or introduce biological pest controls

, and damp down the floor every morningBe on the lookout for pests, including whitefly and red spider mite, and treat at once with a suitable spray or biological controlPot up rooted cuttingsPinch out the tips of cucumber sideshoots two leaves beyond a female