Pests, Diseases and Cures

Same here loads of little flies in conservatory, I like the soap idea and will do.

You could try this :-"A large greenhouse grower in The Netherlands found that garlic plants are an effective way to repel thrips. He uses three potted garlic plants for every 30 square feet of bench area."- and no vampires either!

They like our pear tree too

They are only doing what come natural to them, in much the same way as cats. Difference is most cats dont need to. Sorry cat lovers. :( :rolleyes:

OK, Garden Insect Killer diluted in the water never worked as I thought. So resorted to old traditional way, washing up liquid diluted in the water and guess what, it seems to of worked. Tomorrow shall tell for sure.

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.