Pests, Diseases and Cures

I use spray of water with a squirt of Fairy for aphids and ants.

They are a magnet for pollinators but predators love them as well. I always find crab spiders love to hunt on them.

I don't suppose we should find it odd, really, but we do! My Jacob's Ladders, blues and white, just pop up everywhere, including in pots containing other plants, I've never had to buy one. Ditto Astrantias, which I don't much care for, they come up like weeds, but the bees like them, so fair...

Also found Mosquito Bits very effective, have not had any in the house plants for over a year. Just mix and soak in water then water in, only found it needed two applications a few weeks apart.However keeping a greenhouse under control will be a bigger job particulalry if you have them in the...

Out squishing and trouserwiping again this morning

Flea beetle is a major problem due to rape seed production in East Anglia. Aphids are a major problem on sugarbeet grown widely in that area. Best bet is for the next couple of years rely on mechanical protection, you have probably noticed that a lot of fields of carrots are covered in fleece or...

Good to know and yes I agree, Box can be a nightmare, alot of problems they face unfortunately. Ilex Crenata is a safer alternative

That looks like a healthy peach tree - if there are some aphids curling up the leaves at the tips, I'd be tempted to pick those leaves off or spray the aphids off with a water spray, or just wait for some ladybird larvae to arrive...

If pruned down to brown wood in my experience they never produce green shoots.

My buddleia has been under attack on two fronts this year. Complete infestation of blackfly sucking the life out of it, and mullein moth caterpillars chomping it to bits. Although I'd seen the odd ladybird about, I hadn't seen any eggs on the buddleia (annoyingly there were several batches on...

Hi @infradig yes, the traps are to monitor populations, but they also seem to prevent damage to apples/pears too. I used one for the first time last year, and for the first time in 30+ years I had far fewer damaged apples. A friend has over 50 fruit trees in their 2 gardens (inc. many apple...

Some varieties do look a bit tired after flowering but then pick up again

I have 2 bays and they get a bit of it every few years. It doesn't seem to affect many leaves, so I just remove the curled-up ones.No idea how long it's been around, but I can recall it for about 30ish years since I've had bays, so probably been around a long time

I would also say slugs/snails, Vine weevil damage looks like notches around the edges of leaves, whereas holes in the centre would be done by the rasping tongue of molluscs.

Ants do fight and generally don't transfer from one nest to another without tensions, so I expect that caused a war. Plus, nests are delicate things with all sorts of connecting tunnels and cavities. If those collapse, it will no longer be viable as home. A bit like bombing a block of flats...

Im thinking of using diatomaceous earth to get rid of ants, has anyone tried this

What tree is it? It's probably a moth caterpillar, the photos a bit blurry so hard to see clearly. I would just let them be, important food source for something and the tree will recover. Part of nature

I had problems using organic fertiliser in my veg patch, blood fish and bone meal really attracted foxes. They dug up my potato patch. I had to stop using it.

All I can suggest is make sure the plants get as much sunshine as possible and air flow. Late watering is probably not the best idea. I don't think you are likely to get better growing conditions than we have had up till now in many springs so difficult to see why this keeps happening.

Took some photos. The Cotoneaster is looking rather glossier than usual due to lots of new leaves, but I found some manky ones! Also on myrtle and Trachelospermum.