Pests, Diseases and Cures

We had a problem with fruit flies in the house earlier on this year. We didn't know where they were coming from until I noticed some in an unopened pack of grapes we got in that week's grocery delivery. We stopped buying those grapes (from a large supermarket chain beginning with the letter T ...

I have always used old black engine oil for such things. Molds don't like it and it waterproofs the wood making mold return less likely. However (you might get some from your local garage - oil changes on cars etc) plants don't like it either, but if you are careful and only apply it to the...

The pruning wouldn't make any difference Kevin, it's just the natural cycle before it drops it's leaves.

you need a lawn lawn mower, in this case..

Not sure how successful it would be. I believe the mites can be carried through the air on a thread of silk to reach other plants. I've had reasonable success using a spray of Neem oil / washing up liquid.

The top two pics look like Sprouts? I always found the lower leaves died off with Sprouts. Seems a bit early though? A pic showing the whole plant might be more revealing.

Any chance of a picture please

I'm thinking birds too.

Never heard of marshmallow disease. It looks a bit fungal to me.

Caterpillars love Nasturtiums Rustler, perhaps next year you can plant some of those as a distraction.

Milk and water! Who'd'a'thot'it?!Well, clearly the guy who wrote the article... :-)

Yes probably fever fly then. Reading online it's the larvae that's the issue as they will be an inch under the soil in nests and will start to spread.I can only see one solution which is using a leatherjacket treatment as it's essentially the same thing at this stage e.g the larvae is the...

Thanks John.

Thanks Sheal, I suspected there wasn't a lot that could be done :( think I'll cut out the dead growth for them and tie in the new stuff to cover the gaps and see what happens

Yep! He didn't seem the least bit bothered by me.

I keep a wee pot of vaseline in my shed and rub a little along the stem below flower/bud. It doesn't get rid of the earwigs but my Dahlias are left alone! They are an absolute pain (the earwigs) and so darned quick! I have chopped them in half and still they run around!!!

Anyone had a nest this year?Had one up in an air brick a month or so ago, only noticed it when I was looking up one day, weren't causing me issues but due to it being next to my kitchen window, and having a 22 month old, thought it best to get rid.Anyway, out in the garden past Sunday and...

Unfortunately the molluscs will try almost anything at least once, certainly when new. I find that if I can get a plant through an initial season it appears to suffer less the next. Or perhaps I'm just over optimistic. Aubretia do well with me, as Fern4 said, for a stone wall you could try...

Hi all, I've noticed some white powdery sort of stuff on the leaves of my raspberry plant, anyone have any ideas what it might be?ThanksSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks like poo from bird's that have been eating berries.