Pests, Diseases and Cures

This says it all just perfectly :gnthb::gnthb: But I'm not beyond setting out traps in the autumn when they do start being a bit of a pest and annoying us

A longer term plan would be to grow a few nettles (in a bucket) as the smell apparently attracts ladybirds, provide good nesting sites for ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies, and grow plenty of nectar rich flowers in an attempt to get hoverflies to move in.

I had this problem with wasps in the soil last year. I was digging up and disturbed the nest and got stung on the ear (Ouch!) My ploy to defeat this nuisance (particularly as we have dogs who kept heading for the nest, was to put a hose down the hole and connect it to the HOT tap and then...

Okay, the problem has been identified by someone at my work. It's edema, probably caused by overwatering/poor drainage. I'll sort that out tonight Thanks for your help anyway, I'm sure I'll come running when the next thing goes wrong...

BigBirdAnts do not do much damage in terms of flowers and crops. The main problem for gardeners is that ants will protect aphids from attack from ladybirds in order to harvest honeydew that the aphids produce in return for their protection.

Thanks kev25v6 I will do that :gnthb:

If they are in an exposed place it could be wind burn from these strong winds we have been having these last few weeks... The only other thing is we did have a few late frosts in this area, not sure about your area, but that would have done for the new top growth too.. Some pics might help to...

Thanks, I'll try and take a photo (it's a bit wet out there just now!). Not sure how long the bush has been there as we inherited when we moved in 3 years ago, but it was already well established then. Will come back with photo soon!

"SBPI is not a bad product......but, it warped my chillis badly when I used it to try and clear a whitefly problem. So much so that most of them were next to useless."Interesting. I've got a bottle but not used it as yet. I wonder if there is anything on the instructions about plants that are...

Thanks for the great tips and all the encouragement, as it's really appreciated. Kind regards Janet

I just had to show you this cracking good picture from a photographic forum I visit. Thanks go to Ron robert

Thanks, now they are more exposed they are beginning to look more normal so I'll give it a bit.Thanks again

I have found Soapy water works as well as anything.

Well done Claire, right first time!

Well I've not tried it on mildew, but it does wash off very easily.I preferred Nimrod

Pete, thank you for your reply. I thought it was strange to see it on apples. It was the spitting image. Unfortunately I removed the affected leaves and put them straight in the bin as if it was peach leaf curl so no pics. I'll wait and see what happens to the rest of the plant.

I am growing Rocket early pots in a potato barrel. The leaves have been covered as they grew in the normal method. The leaves are now at the top of the barrel and I am letting them grow on. Problem is that the leaves look a bit poorly. Bobbly and a little curly is the only way to describe...

And sparrows eat rhem too. Little nuisance birds. I had to net mine to keep them off.

Hi - I have a viburnum that I planted last spring - just over a year ago. It was about 2ft tall. It has put out new growth, but within a few weeks of new leaves appearing they go black at the tip, yellow and drop off. I have given it a feed with a general tree and shrub fertilizer but there...

If you have sparrows Vegswap it could be them. They were eating mine as fast as they were coming out of the ground. I had to put a net over them. Little nuisance birds.