Pests, Diseases and Cures

You don't really need grit @adamadamant, unless you're using compost that isn't draining well, but it won't do any harm. I know a lot of compost nowadays is poor in terms of drainage. Better to mix it with your soil/compost mix though. A photo of your plants would have been good too. It always...

I used to use those smoke candles many years ago, I was alway skeptical as it never seemed to kill the spiders.

If you cut your fuchsia back to sticks , there's nothing for the fuchsia gall mite to live on. It has worked for me for a few years without pesticides or flamethrowers

With a lot of determination.

Hi,Will try washing down with soapy water. It can't do any harm.However, if it is sooty bark disease then I guess that won't help. It's a shame as the tree came from Wilko's, cost a pound 20 years ago. Has been very healthy up untill now.I have cut off the wilting branch, will leave to...

My nephew is an electrician with a large Government organisation. He got a call to say the retractable bollards, used to control access had stopped working. He did all the normal continuity tests which were fine, so lifted the covers at the side of the bollards. The sight was not a pretty...

Hi @Millie16 - honey fungus is the most common reason for privet dying off. The red/black leaf drop isn't totally unusual, and can happen quite often, but would rarely be the cause of large areas dying. When you say it's been well watered - that can certainly be a problem because watering...

Bizarre!