Comments on: What is Eating my Plants? http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants Cooking - Photography & More Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:37:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3783 Mon, 12 May 2008 21:07:53 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3783 Cid, I have long been under the impression that it is a natural repellent, I'll look into it. Miles Cid,
I have long been under the impression that it is a natural repellent, I’ll look into it.
Miles

]]> by: Cid http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3779 Mon, 12 May 2008 16:57:04 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3779 Miles, Now I don't want to put the cat among the pigeons so to speak but I gather old Derris has had some bad press recently due to possible health issues.... should we really trust it especially on fruit and veg? Cid Miles,

Now I don’t want to put the cat among the pigeons so to speak but I gather old Derris has had some bad press recently due to possible health issues…. should we really trust it especially on fruit and veg?

Cid

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3771 Mon, 12 May 2008 12:06:46 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3771 Hello Doug, Welcome to the site and taking the time to offer your advice, I do try and catch your radio programme when I am off and find it very helpful. I have just given my brassicas a liberal shower of derris thankyou, they look very healthy but I don't want to take the chance. As for the beans, I shall sow direct in future. Thanks again Doug, it's kind of you to bother. Miles Hello Doug,
Welcome to the site and taking the time to offer your advice, I do try and catch your radio programme when I am off and find it very helpful.
I have just given my brassicas a liberal shower of derris thankyou, they look very healthy but I don’t want to take the chance. As for the beans, I shall sow direct in future.
Thanks again Doug, it’s kind of you to bother.
Miles

]]> by: Dougthegardener http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3768 Mon, 12 May 2008 10:52:45 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3768 Hi Miles Hmmm, they don't look very happy do they? I think slugs are one of the culprits, so either beer traps (old margarine cartons with holes cut in the lid filled with an inch or to of real ale) if you chefs use margarine that is! Or slug pellets would control them. Derris is a good thing to dust over transplants to protect them from pest that like to munch on new plants. However adding some nice compost to the hole when planting would really help the plants settle into their new homes. Summer squash in particular love to be planted in soil on the top of a barrow load of manure put into the ground first, (big home - add manure - well rotted of course - return soil to to make mount vesuvius type mountain. Plant squash at the top. The beans would I think be happier just sown where they will be cropped. Hope these comments are of some use. Doug Hi Miles

Hmmm, they don’t look very happy do they?

I think slugs are one of the culprits, so either beer traps (old margarine cartons with holes cut in the lid filled with an inch or to of real ale) if you chefs use margarine that is! Or slug pellets would control them.

Derris is a good thing to dust over transplants to protect them from pest that like to munch on new plants.

However adding some nice compost to the hole when planting would really help the plants settle into their new homes. Summer squash in particular love to be planted in soil on the top of a barrow load of manure put into the ground first, (big home - add manure - well rotted of course - return soil to to make mount vesuvius type mountain. Plant squash at the top.

The beans would I think be happier just sown where they will be cropped.

Hope these comments are of some use.

Doug

]]> by: Hank http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3762 Mon, 12 May 2008 03:05:03 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3762 Your plants just look generally unhappy, which can make them more susceptible to pests. Are they transplants? If so, that could be your problem. If they were grown from seed and then took this hit, have you been watering them unevenly? How balanced is your soil? Have you tested it? If it's out of whack, this could be making your plants weak. Think about yourself when you've been missing some key vitamin or mineral -- you too can get sick easier. Plants are no different... Anyway, that's my $0.02. Your plants just look generally unhappy, which can make them more susceptible to pests. Are they transplants? If so, that could be your problem.
If they were grown from seed and then took this hit, have you been watering them unevenly?
How balanced is your soil? Have you tested it? If it’s out of whack, this could be making your plants weak. Think about yourself when you’ve been missing some key vitamin or mineral — you too can get sick easier. Plants are no different…
Anyway, that’s my $0.02.

]]> by: Christine http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3754 Sun, 11 May 2008 18:38:04 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3754 Miles, You must love your kitchen garden. I am afraid that I just have to put slug pellets around my plants, they have been eaten all too often. Mind you, whatever has been getting to your lovely plants wants killing one way or another! I have heard that you don't put plants back into an area where there have been some pests. Mind you, I would have thought that they just go off in search of where they can find food anyway. Perhaps you need to fight them with some sort of preditors or distracting type plants? Beats me, looks like you need expert advise! Christine Miles,
You must love your kitchen garden. I am afraid that I just have to put slug pellets around my plants, they have been eaten all too often.
Mind you, whatever has been getting to your lovely plants wants killing one way or another! I have heard that you don’t put plants back into an area where there have been some pests. Mind you, I would have thought that they just go off in search of where they can find food anyway. Perhaps you need to fight them with some sort of preditors or distracting type plants? Beats me, looks like you need expert advise!

Christine

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3753 Sun, 11 May 2008 18:32:54 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3753 All, Just finished giving everything a liberal dose of derris powder-that should keep the swines at bay :) Miles All,
Just finished giving everything a liberal dose of derris powder-that should keep the swines at bay :)

Miles

]]> by: Elsie Nean http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3748 Sun, 11 May 2008 12:01:06 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3748 Miles, That looks a sorry state of affairs and is so disheartening. I have planted radishes in 2 separate areas and the leaves are being eaten :( I wonder what Gordon Ramsey would suggest? Elsie Miles,
That looks a sorry state of affairs and is so disheartening. I have planted radishes in 2 separate areas and the leaves are being eaten :(
I wonder what Gordon Ramsey would suggest?
Elsie

]]> by: Cid http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3745 Sun, 11 May 2008 08:05:33 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3745 Miles, Are you sure its pests and not Motorhead... they kill grass don't they? :) Either way my own new kale seeds are starting to show, so fingers crossed for second time around success. I shall plant them in different parts of the garden to see what happens but looking at my hostas, I think I know already that the gauntlet has been thrown. Cid Miles,

Are you sure its pests and not Motorhead… they kill grass don’t they? :)

Either way my own new kale seeds are starting to show, so fingers crossed for second time around success. I shall plant them in different parts of the garden to see what happens but looking at my hostas, I think I know already that the gauntlet has been thrown.

Cid

]]> by: Rod http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3744 Sun, 11 May 2008 07:27:47 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/what-is-eating-my-plants#comment-3744 Miles my broccoli was destroyed over a sustained period by white butterflies laying eggs and the resultant caterpillars ravaging the plants. I had though about growing some again this year purely as a sacrifical plant and they did'nt go to any of my other crop. Miles
my broccoli was destroyed over a sustained period by white butterflies laying eggs and the resultant caterpillars ravaging the plants.

I had though about growing some again this year purely as a sacrifical plant and they did’nt go to any of my other crop.

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