Pests, Diseases and Cures

I'm pretty sure its mostly leaf miner that is causing the problems with horse chestnut early leaf fall. Apparently HC native to Asia and S. E. Europe so I'm pretty sure they can handle a drought or two.In my street we have crab apple trees and the leaves usually start falling around now, I...

thanks for info

I think the clue is in the Fleabane name. Native plant traditionally burnt indoors to control fleas.

Ok, will continue with water only, see how we go, thank you.

put some peanuts out and water for them they will stop eating your plants

If it’s not a fungal disease, it must be weed killer or something similar, the tree has grown really well for years. As you say, unfortunately it’s difficult to prove that he’s done anything. I have considered contacting my house insurers as we have legal cover for nuisance neighbours. The fact...

It's tortrix moth of some kind. I have the same problem with them on other plants. It's a case of watching and when you think a caterpillar is in there just give the shoot tip a squeeze.

@Nikolaos it was definitely a fine specimen and I watched it for a while having never seen one before. Eventually flying back out of the window I did wonder if it might have been some kind of hornet or something relating to the local farm or stables. Every day is a learning day

@Pushkin I rarely buy plants & certainly not from a garden centre. The few I've bought in the last few years have come from a nursery where they do all their own propagating from what I've been able to see from it.

I don't think I can manage to eat my way through a whole herd.

Hi thanks nigel and pete and nigel you not lazy lol you areright using the right treatment will kill the right pest and most likely it was squirrel

Thanks for the replies. Much appreciated. When i said wilting they are actually dying now. becoming brown and dry. seems to be moving from cane to cane. I have been watering ( not too much ) to try and help.

Ah yes!Thanks JWK - very helpful.The fluff stays on then.

Thank you so much for your advice and comments, they really are appreciated.

Strulch around the base of the plants keeps slugs and snails away. I use it in one of my cold frames and it works a treat.

Hello,My mother has a beautiful Acer tree in the garden, for years we have just left her alone and had no problem, last year we removed a sucker and early spring we removed what had grown back of said sucker. We are now having a problem with the Acer and no idea what to do, my mother is quite...

Hi John,I'll do that, can't hurt with that dosage- apart from the neighbouring plots might moan about the smell

Hi @Head Gardener's Dogsbody I'm no Acer expert however I had a very similar one for a good few years in a pot and it was very happy until spring this year when after coming into leaf for a few weeks did exactly the same and died. I emptied the pot and went through the soil and it was full of...

I collect the adults and usually just squash them. As for the larvae, I use the garden hose to spray the lilies from beneath. The larvae usually drop and can't get up to the plant again. If a leaf is full of them, I cut of the whole leaf and just throw it in the bin.

I think it must be powdery mildew that I get on Violas in one part of the garden. So far the Violas in another area have been ok, fingers crossed, but I want to be one step ahead of it and try to understand how to deal with it. I think it is the part of the garden that gets most sun where they...