Pests, Diseases and Cures

You can keep them down if you don't mind cutting them back every few weeks through the summer. They will branch nicely & still flower.

Surprisingly we haven't seen many ladybirds this year at all.

thank you brazil for your answeri had forgotton to check for an answer until today!i will do as you suggest - i agree it is a lovely tree and i would really like it stay.

Welcome to GC, bentley. Sorry can't help, but thought I'd just roll out the welcome mat!

Heloo, redfour - welcome to GC. Great to have you on board and starting off with a suggestion, no less! Great stuff!

This is disconcerting - I plan to have a couple of espalier apple trees next year - these diseases sound nasty!

Hi Palustris, Many years ago I had a uncle [farmer] who could catch a mole with nothing more than a stick. The offending mole would be making it's mound when uncle would rush up and heel down the moles escape tunnel/s and dig it out with his stick.

Have a look at this: http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000049 Does that sound anything like?

http://www.defenders.co.uk/ Its the only way that I have found to control red spider, but you have to reintroduce regulally through the summer.

Hopefully the pravado will kill any of those lurking in the pots too!

I have some mould in some of my plant pots around the roots. the plants were not doing too well so I envestigated and there it was. Has anyone come across this and what is the cause ?

Thanks brazil, if its still alive next spring i'll give it a go then, thanks for your info Gill

Hi, I tried this stuff and it didn't work for me either. I try not to use the blue pellets for fear of harming hedgehogs, birds etc., but I have been using Fertosan quite successfully this year. It is aluminium sulphate powder, and has to be renewed after rain. For me it has worked better than...

What a good idea, I have been looking at possable sorces of copper to protect my plants but have never though of scouring pads. May I pass this tip on please to another vegetable growing group I some times visit. Jax

If its the older leaves, on bulbs that have flowered Charlie, its not a problem. The old bulbs at the back of the plant eventually have no leaves at all.

You're welcome - and I know the feeling - I've got plenty to do myself this weekend

Hi Berry - I don't think its the clay - in my previous garden honeysuckle grew well in clay in full sun, here another is doing OK - but not doing as well cos its in poor soil, and heavily overshadowed.I think I would be tempted to move your honeysuckle if the old one had the same problems then...

Thanks everyone for your advice, Never heard of T-bags, will give that a go and let you know how I get on! Found another 20 HUGE slugs last night..... Wish the little creatures would go and bug some other gardener!

Hi Nic s, This an excellent site. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/british_insects/

Sorry Andrew can't help with this one. Usually that kind of discolouration on the leaves mean the plant is stressed for some reason though it could be a fungus infection. Fuchsia if stressed will develop very dark purple leaf markings and then they will yellow and drop. Question would be what...