Talkback: Organic pest control - Talkback

01/09/2007 at 21:07

Yes Jennifer I've had exactly the same happen to my Bishop of Llandaff. Good idea of yours for the cloche, I'll definitely try it.

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29/09/2007 at 09:12

Can anyone tell me how long an adult vine weevil lives?

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29/09/2007 at 10:10

Yes all this is fine for apples and plums but - do you know of a pheromone trap for pear midge? Last year I did not spray and my crop was destroyed almost totally. This year I sprayed at petal fall being careful to do this late in the evening due to my bees (I am a beekeeper) and I have a huge crop of pears. Pear midge seems to be little known but is a bad pest in this area of Norfolk and was also bad in Northampton when I lived there.

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29/09/2007 at 11:45

This sounds like a great idea Adam. If I grew apples or plums I would definitely try it. However I discovered the down side of organic pest control this summer. In early May and mid June I invested £20 a time in nematodes for slugs. I waited for the right conditions to apply them - dull and damp but not too wet - then set too and watered all my borders and tubs with them. Then, on each occasion, just as I was feeling smug in the knowledge that I would be enjoying a slug free summer, the heavans opened and.... well we all know what happened next, especially here in Sheffield! and the nematodes were washed away. The result is I have had my worst summer ever for the dreaded slugs, they have even been eating plants that are guaranteed to be slug free. My borders look like a battle field. Ah well, as Alan Titchmarsh would say, there will be another summer along next year.

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29/09/2007 at 19:51

I feel that life is too short to lift dahlias, even on clay soil, even in Scotland. I mulch them with peat free multipurpose compost and stick a bell cloche over them. They seem to survive with this treatment. A Bishop of Llandaff that was previously reliable failed to appear this year which surprised me because last winter was mild. I finally dug it up today and it is very much alive but the shoots stop just at the soil surface. I have a bumper crop of slugs and snails after the damp summer and I suspect that this plant gets chewed off every time it raises its head above the parapet. Next plan? Copper ring, same mulch, same cloche.

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29/09/2007 at 21:42

This year everything, and I mean everything, was infested by aphids, white fly, green fly, mealy bug. Despite our efforts, most of our back garden is a white-fly fest even today. I have had to prune our bay tree back dramatically to remove the worst of the mealy bug infestations, our quince and plum tree had green fly and black fly, the roses had black spot.....in fact, I think the only plants left alone were a few of the herbs, the rosemary and sage and chives, the geraniums, citrus trees.....not much more than that. We lost a lot of fruit this year due to bugs, but have learned to compost slugs!

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02/10/2007 at 14:18

We have a plum tree on our allotment. It produces much delicious fruit. The first 'batch' generally had inhabitants, but the second lot seemed to be free of lodgers. A couple of years ago there were no lodgers at all. I was somewhat puzzled until I discovered my neighbour had a trap on his trees - so the moths must have been going over there! I have no bought my own trap, just in case. I bought mine at the Malvern Autumn Show from the Agralan stand. They were very helpful and have both plus and apple traps.

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02/10/2007 at 16:15

Margaret, you can find more details and buy pheromone traps from Agralan Ltd. Check out their website. Look under 'Insect Control' for the traps, which cost £6.95. Rosie, I'm not sure how long the adult vine weevil lives for, but probably a few months. Did you know that ALL vine weevils are female! No male vine weevil has ever been found, so as every one you find is capable of laying eggs you must be sure to catch them all. (Agralan sell controls for this pest too).

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03/10/2007 at 22:31

Can any one help me with the problem of leaf curl on the tips of my Cherry Tree. Last year I cut the new growth from the ends of the branches which did not do much for the shape, but unfortunately it was there again this year.

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04/10/2007 at 14:52

Could anyone please tell me where I can obtain Field Beans? I live on the Isle of Man and no-one here supplies them. I would like to sow them as a green manure this autumn.

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04/10/2007 at 19:49

can any one please help me to get rid of SELF HEAL in my lawn

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04/10/2007 at 19:50

I forgot to put up my Agralan Codling Moth trap this year and surprise, surprise my apples were mainly free of maggots. I feed the blue tits and other birds throughout the year with sunflower kernels which they carry up into the apple tree above to feast on this delicacy and can only assume that they dealt with the little bug...s for me! I will put up the trap next year as insurance.

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05/10/2007 at 14:39

How can I organically control Scale insect on my 8ft tall Contorted Hazel? All the controls appear to be for greenhouse use. Please help! Thanks

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09/10/2007 at 20:54

how do you prune cob nut trees?

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19/10/2007 at 22:23

I suffer from vine weevil in my garden is there any natural way to get rid of this pest, at the moment i use provado treatment but this year has been the worst ever, i have killed numerous adult vine weevils manually is there a easy organic solution?

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30/04/2008 at 22:36

Have found holes in the buds of one clump of irises anybody had a similar experience and any advice out there?

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18/07/2008 at 09:56

I have noticed that my lovely plum tree has a greenfly infestation. I want to treat it but need to use something that will not effect the eating quality of this years crop. Any suggestions most welcome.

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23/12/2008 at 22:10

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31/12/2008 at 02:04

sociable interruption for buddy. yearning to get more from your side :)

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24/05/2009 at 15:15

I have 4 large Maples in my garden. This year the leaves have not come out properly. Most are covered in what looks like small red,yellow and green egg shapes. The leaves are shrivelling. It appesrs that the bug are sucking the moisture from the leaves.