The gardening thread

[giraffe]

Last time I tried to prune a bush I didn't know where to stop and ended up with a stump! It regrew though and is almost as big as it was before (taking over half the garden) and it has only been a couple of years since it's near death experience.

[tricia]

My replacement bay has survived the winter with just a little pruning required. Rosemary died, shristmas Rose is now throwing up blooms and both hydrangias are showing signs of growth. Daffodis are emerging and some snowdrops are blooming. Spring is definitely in the air

tricia

[gill216]

Yesterday I had 5 tomato plants. Today I have 1 -the other 4 have had their heads chomped off right down to only having about 2" of stem left. The same thing has happened with my melons and cucumbers. Any suggestions anyone?. I've inspected for caterpillars and I have slug pellets in abundance. The only other thing of note is that my seed packets are also being munched so I've thought about a mouse. Except my gardens is the cats M1. No mouse would stand a chance.

[LAT]

Deer? They seem to have got almost all our tulips this year.

[gill216]

Not deer, unless they can unzip and rezip. These plants are in a poly greenhouse.

That might be the explanation as to where my daffs and tulips went though. I have had a deer in my garden in the past. I thought I was seeing things but I wasn't the only one to spot it. A little research taught me that we are right on the valley trail and only a mile or so away there are lots of wild deer . Our bit just looks like a misplaced bit of woodland- but we do back onto a field.

[giraffe]

Rabbits ate everything in my garden a couple of years ago.

[gill216]

I've just discovered that whatever it is likes ceramic too. I just decided to bring in the remaining tomato plant, the one remaining cucumber and the melon thats unlikely to survive. My ceramic pot holders have been chomped too

[Bunnylump]

Aliens?

We had the oddest thing happen to our hanging baskets one year. One day they were in full bloom, next they were all completely dead. The stems had been eaten through of every plant right at the bottom. Someone suggested vine weavels to me but I never did get to the bottom of it. Something is eating my Ranunculus. They have beautiful orange blooms and now virtually NO leaves.

[LAT]

well if it is in a poly tunnel the mice might feel safe from the cats?

[Wulfruna]

One day they were in full bloom, next they were all completely dead. The stems had been eaten through of every plant right at the bottom.

That definitely sounds like vine weevils - I had the same thing with a large pot, where a plant suddenly keeeled over and I found the roots had been sheered off just under the surface. Sure enough when I explored underneath, there were all these cute little fat white grubs...... . There is a special insecticide you can get for them, which helps.
But this year, before planting it up again, I emptied out all the soil (it is a very large tub!) and combed through it carefully, just in case - and was staggered at how many of them had managed to survive the winter frosts!!). Being white, they are pretty visible, fortunately, so I picked them all out and gleefully squished them underfoot
However, Giraffe's problem has me stumped - rabbits sounded quite likely until they attacked the pots as well

[gill216]

More clues as to the garden "thing". It is a thing, it lives under my decking (and no I'm not going to go and turf it out without knowing what it is.!!!). I saw its eyes watching me when I decided the rain wasn't going to stop so I'd get my washing in and stick in the dryer.

It likes cucumber tomato and melon plants but not the stems. It likes paper but not foil wrappers that seeds are packaged in. It likes the varnished part of ceramic pots but doesn't like the unvarnished side. It doesn't like flowers, herbs, carrots leeks potatoes or beetroot.

Its not small because its eyes were quite large and well spaced but it must be able to get into a tiny space and climb. The plants it has munched were on the second shelf of the zipped up polythene greenhouse. I have no evidence of any droppings of any description and I've pulled the greenhouse apart today to be sure there are no nests of anything lurking.

Rabbits ruled out because it doesn't like flowers. Deer ruled out because they couldn't get in. Mice/rats ruled out because its eyes were too large.

What on earth can it be

[MBH]

Aliens?

[Bunnylump]

You're sure that the outsides of the pots haven't been affected by pots?

I'm just wondering about badgers. They usually eat things like earthworms, but they do also eat fruit and cereals... You'll soon know, because if it is them you'll soon start to see dirty great holes appearing underneath your fences (just before they collapse) and the bins being upturned and sifted through.

[giraffe]

You're sure that the outsides of the pots haven't been affected by pots?

Are you going potty bunnylump?

Frost has broken a few of my pots this year.

[Bunnylump]

Well yes, that's what I meant. But as you will notice I posted that at 7 18 am, so clearly wasn't actually awake...

[Wulfruna]

However, Giraffe's problem has me stumped -

Sorry, I did of course mean Gill - well the first two letters were right, anyway
That's what comes of doing puzzles all day long.... you start looking at the first two letters in order to yield an answer and ignore everything else..

[Bunnylump]

Frankly, between the two of us, we're doing a damned fine impression of being inmates from an old people's home...

[gill216]

I have discoverd my alien visitor. Which now turns out to be in the plural. The eyes under the decking are a stray cat that seems to be sheltering there. It is the ugliest looking cat I have ever seen and on that basis I'd encourage it to be a house resident if I were here on a permanent basis. No can do with summer caravan season approaching.

The eater(s). I found both of them. Woodlice and earwigs. I solved that problem too. Glass jars over everything they like to eat

[giraffe]

I'm overrun with raspberries and cucumbers here. Four cucumbers have reached ripe simultaneously and others coming on fast. And the raspberries, I'm picking a big bowl full twice a day. I bought 6 raspberry canes about four years ago and they keep multiplying. Fortunately they are in a raised bed, so can't take over the whole garden. (I hope)

[gill216]

Raspberries, strawberries and black and red currants (in that order) from my garden. I've frozen all of the currants. Eaten most of the strawberries -now I'm freezing them too because I'm sick of them.

Cucumbers? Impressed. Mine are teeny weeny. Leeks and carrots have the potential of taking over.

Raspberries. 4 canes 3 years ago and I have a mini hedge. Suggestions- Eton mess, Raspberry jam (dead easy and sieve it to get rid of the pips- equal amounts of fruit to sugar- takes about 20 mins.) Raspberry jelly if you have a jelly bag(even a pop sock will do . Raspberry coulis and freeze it. Smoothies. Cheesecake. Any more ideas?

The slugs are devouring one of my potato pods (why only one? they have 4 to choose from!) and have demolished my rhubarb. Apparently they are hermaphrodites and each slug can produce in it's lifetime 40,000 offspring. I laughed when I read the slug solution. Go out at dusk, catch them and put them in boiling water or cut them up

I have herb bushes as opposed to nice friendly little pots. My Bramley apple tree is absolutely laden with fruit and its only 2 years old.