Pests, Diseases and Cures

Hi, Thanks for your answer, i looked for a fungicide for edible plants but there doesn't appear to be one, i will try removing the affected leaves to stop it from spreading, and use an organic insecticide.

Ok, thanks for the advice. Will look for a liquid feed instead

Thanks for the advice and also identifying the plant. I've cut the unhealthy branch back so fingers crossed. Thanks again!

Hi @John Mason have you decided it's worth doing anything about them next autumn? From what I've read the larvae mostly eat rotting vegetation.

I can see that the big one has fallen apart and two of the smaller ones look empty but I can't tell whether the one where I can't see a hole is occupied or not. I don't want to disturb it and then have any angry wasps chasing me around the loft The job I was doing in the loft was taping up...

Hi there,I'm looking for advice on this Kiepersol (Highveld Cabbage Tree - Cussonia paniculata).Some leaves are looking a sickly - wondering if anyone had any ideas what may be the problem.Happy gardening!! Fin

Looks like St Mark's Flies, harmless, although grubs feed on roots but they are good pollinators.

Well my considered opinion is,.......its dead.Seriously, I'd guess a root problem, as it appears to have tried to flower and leaf up which have died off. Suggesting it was doing this with sap remaining in the wood, bit like cutting down woody material in winter, it then goes on to shoot in...

That looks like a fungal disease of some sort, GardeningFin. They're rife this Spring. There's nothing effective on the market anymore to treat them, so yes, prune it, dispose of the infected leaves carefully + any on the soil around the plant, and make sure the feed isn't too high in nitrogen.

Hi,Wondered what the views were about such prophylactic treatment against Aphids ?We have about forty Fuchsia cuttings, now about 100-150mm tall and three have green fly which we have sprayed.As the greenhouse is so full at the moment and things so close togther, would spraying the rest of...

Loads here too!! Yuk!! As I don't like using anything to kill them I have a designated old yoghurt pot and a little artist's paintbrush which is used to knock them into the pot...then they get squished!!

Think I would put it back into its pot and find a sheltered spot, away from the sun and wind for a few weeks. Don't overdo the watering, just keep it moist. It is hard to tell it might have been under or over watered in the shop, most likely just been sitting in a packet for too long on a shelf....

Totally agree with Loki. I am not sure, but I should imagine that under DEFRA rules etc that such infestations may be notifiable, for several reasons.I have never experienced such an infestation. Having owned dogs and a cat, I am familiar with the existence of fleas. We did hand rear two...

Thanks for the words of wisdom @Mike Allen

I think they look fineBecause they were rootballed the roots won't have ventured far, yet. The soil in the rootball is probably very different to yours (and they may have been severely root-pruned when the rootballiing was done). Therefore very important to get water into the original...

Sorry for the misdirection. I thought they were big bugs in the pictures, about an inch long. We all know fungus gnats are teeny. And a nuisance! Glad to hear you've got things under control.

My thought would be Topiary, or something with architectural leaves. Anything flowering (i.e. a Shrub) will have only a relatively short season of flowering interest. Can be dramatic though ... a contemporary had a Spring birthday and when she was born Father (definitely a non gardener!) went to...

If you live anywhere near Poole in Dorset I would highly recommend a visit to Barthelemy & Co, their acers are fabulous, priced very reasonably, and you'd be able to see in one place a collection to enable you to choose what suits you best. Best as I understand it they won't ship anything with...

You can't miss the larvae as when they begin to hatch they cover themselves in their own poop... I'm currently doing battle with the blighters with my 'trusty or untrusty' as it turns out galic spray ...I think I'm getting trigger finger

Thanks both, Mining Bee's it is then.