Pests, Diseases and Cures

Sorry, Fancy, I have just found this looking for something else. I have seen a trail or two so they must be around, but I think we are too dry for them as they have no houses to hide in like snails! :D :D :D

Thanks Sally B

Giant Diving Beetles (Dytiscus marginalis)are fierce beasties and so are their larvae which are known as "water tigers" They will certainly attack fish, frogs, tadpoles and anything else that moves. Best way of reducing the population is to wait before putting anything edible in your new pond....

Thanks Rich - will also keep an eye on mine :(

Thanks for that, Hornbeam. :D

Thankfully it has not affected both beds of tatties so I will hopefully be able to store the other bed.many thanks

This is the method I use ...Wash fruit and discard any doubtful ones. Wash and dry the jars.(I'm assuming you are using rubber sealed preserving jars) Check the rubber ring, making sure they are not torn..and the jars are not chipped. This will affect the sealing. Fill the jars as full as...

Hi David, very often chillies are green when you eat them (ie ripe when green) but very often not (very helpful!??). Totally depends upon the variety and I am not able to tell you the type of chilli that you have purchased in the supermarket as I get my chillies from an online company:...

My client and I have been ogling her Greengage for weeks. It is seriously laden with delicious ripening fruit. This weekend the rain just tipped down. My client came out this morning, almost inconsolable; absolutely all the greengages have swollen up and split! Apparent;y they are now ripe so...

Thanks for that...yes, I have deadheaded and tidied up the plant and it looks revived, and will continue to flower for a wee while yet.

Yes, I know the one you mean - my neighbours have put in several of those, and some rosa rugosa, both as hedges. They smell and look great. Shires - sussex, kent, and several other counties all have roses named after them - I know various people who have several, and have a bed of "shires...

I am afraid to say but mine were being eaten alive by the caterpillars so the organic gardening went out of the window and they got bug clear!! They are now thriving.

little black flies love yellow, but don't suppose it is flowering now, so can't be that.

I have a victoria plum and a greengage tree - both have lots of fruit this year but a lot of it is infested with small pink maggots. Obviously it's a bit late to do anything this year but does anyone know what i can do to prevent this happening again?

I have loads of leaches in my top fishless pond, but have never seen one in the bottom fish pond.

Does anyone know an effective way of getting rid of these beasties? Major infestations on PSB and brussels sprouts.

How the mole situation, Marge? Success?

One thing, Fran, I love the "eh"! I say it to my cat, Magic Sam, and now he says "eh" all the time!Heading up to Autumn ... lovely ... we've still got three months to go for that! sigh! I've just come off the deck (second story) and it's still 26,7oC ... but that's okay, the a/c going in...

For me - when thanks to some new orientals I got lily beetle and they stripped all my lilies - a pair of secateurs and a daily check got rid of them. Plus removal of any grubs seen. The secateurs - I found that if I tried to pick them off, they just dropped to the undergrowth usually belly up...

Gad, another page about slugs, seems to have been a favourite topic in July. Pity I was not yet in gc or I would have joined in.