Pests, Diseases and Cures

Thanks Liz, saves me murdering a poor acer then!

Now, if you'd said you hadn't seen ants on your paeony then I would have been surprised.I'm sure it will be the aphids like Jazid said.

Thanks Strongy. I've just been doing a bit more scrabbling around the www. Some suggestions I've found include -#Copper fungicide - I'd rather not use this on food crops though. #Spraying with calcium chloride. #Spraying with milk in various dilutions - won't cure but is claimed to reduce...

Thanks for your answers. Tried the meths and it worked a treat, will repeat as nesessary.

I found this online hope it helps...Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: prefers moist, well-drained acidic soil but will grow in sandy or normal soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Other features: light blue berries (July) Hardiness: fully hardyGarden care: Prepare the ground well before...

Hey, you know Charlie, you may have put your finger on the problem. You are giving it too much of the GOOD LIFE. :rolleyes: Just mist it daily & feed & water occasionally & keep out of direct sunlight... Allot of these thrive on neglect.... :eek:

Hi Poppy, Yes it's the quick fix and the instant solution that people go for. Too many people see instant television garden make overs by designers who know nothing about gardening. So they go to the garden centres, buy plants in bloom, dig holes and then scatter pellets as thick as confetti...

timecharger:Yes and no. Cloches will not keep slugs out but you can control the environment better and keep out birds and frogs etc. so there is less risk from using slug pellets. They tend to last longer as they are not washed out by rain.Most cold frames and greenhouses also have gaps...

Another source of copper is old appliance cable. Strip the outer cover off to free the wires. Cut into lenths about 18" long, bare an end, wrap it around a pair of pliers so you can get a good grip and firmly pull the wire from the sleeve. Be carefull as friction can make it quite hot!Idealy...

Hornbeam...I'll stick with my normal organic method ...seek and crush!..No chem's in my plot either thank you!!

Rositu, have you seen the video that Hornbeam reminded us of recently: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/lifeintheundergrowth/video.shtml Leopard slugs mating- strangely beautiful if you don't mind slime! I remember seeing it on tv ages ago and being amazed. I didn't know those facts...

P of S - has your neighbour got a pond. I have no pond in my garden yet it is alive with frogs of all ages - because not only has my neighbour a pond, but the conditions are right for them in my gardenFrogs like shady places amongst foliage, where the slugs and other things they feed on lurk....

The black marks on your pear leaves could be either scab or pear leaf fleck. The treatment is the same. Spray according to the packet instructions with a fungicide. I use a copper sulphate based one, but there are others widely availabel.

Hello,can anyone help me with an organic cure for root rot- I am guessing its Phytophthora. It has killed of a few of my pelargoniums in the house this winter and although I cleaned up before sowing it now seems to be affecting my new seedlings that were germinated in the same location. I...

I'm not sure if the railway sleepers had anything to do with your problem - a friend of mine lost a number of plants and he put it down to the residual oil/tar products in okl sleepers!

35mm - that's as wide as a film! Transparency sounds like some sort of chrysalis. Found in the soil suggests leather jackets. Need a piccy, please!

Sounds more like chafer grub Capital Gardens: Chafer Grub Bio Control

Thanks Liz and Palustris for your replies.I went to check straight away and cut 2 stems and although they are very thin there is definitely no staining inside. I notice now some of the silver is turning black but the flowers are still beautiful - I will keep an eye on it and maybe treat it to...

Aw Waco says most of the flowers grown in this country are polinated or fed on by flying insects. I can't think of any that would actually act as deterant. I would suggest that you seek treatment for the phobia if you want to grow flowers - or indeed if you want to enjoy outside spaces....