Bookertoo

buried snails

Tried vaseline, WD40, eggshells, grit, porridge oats etc., copper beats them all - this wet weather the larger hosta leaves do droop to the ground and the slugs can crawl up them, but still they are far better than they used to be.

Beware of Parkers Bulbs. .

dear garfening fanatic, hopefully your bulbs will not be too bad, sometimes they are passable - lets hope yours are the better ones.  Maybe try a better compay, avon, or any of the specialist bulb companies.  There is a reason that company are cheap - as with anything else, you get what you pay for in this life. 

Beware of Parkers Bulbs. .

There have been many complaints about this dreadful comapny over many years.  They often picture plants growing together which do not flower at the same time, their bulbs are often soft, and their plants incorrect.  I guess they must pay for  all the magazines to put their horrid leaflets into the magazines,  but the editors are not responsible for what advertisers say.  Best place for a leaflet from them is in the recycling bin. 

Rosemary Bush Dying

They thrive on bare sandy rocky ground with a few drops of water occasionally in the parts where we go in Spain - not quite what we have had of late - they want heat and light, heck, don't we all?  This weather, plus the last two winters may well have done for it.  Some Rosemary's are more tender than others, the upright ones seem to tolerate almost everything that is thrown at them, but the Capri and repens types are less tolerant.

Hope you can find a shoot or two to take cuttings from - good luck.

Sickly plants ? Try asprin.

Aspirin as an incredible drug, and a very powerful one.  Were it discovered today, there is no way it would be for general sale, but would be a prescribed medicine only. Some of the things it can do, ands ome of the things it is used for in medicine are amazing, and surprising - over the years in medicine the places  I have seen the apparently humble aspirin turn up are very very numerous. 

Also not plants, but as a side shoot should be OK?

Is it ever going to STOP!!!!

HollieHock, where are you to be out in Tshirt and flip flops, tell us so we can all come and join you!!

Wet again here of course, grey dark skies, shall have to start using my SAD light if this goes on, usually only in autumn and winter, but the condition won't go away without light and sunshine.

Poor food farmers, I feel really worried about crops for them, fear high food prices come autumn - a nusiance for us but a real disaster for them.  

BIG meal of grown vegs!

Hmm, just may be!  However, there is nothing like the taste of the first veggies you have ever grown, and for me, the delight never goes away - keep going, the carrots will grow in due course. 

Talkback: Controlling slugs and snails with copper

Copper tape is never going to be cheap, copper is an expensive metal to get out of the ground, so will not come cheap even as tape.  You might try finding a friendly plumber who will let you have copper pipe offcuts reasonably, or even free if you are very nice, but in the end copper has to be paid for.

I did try googling for it, and got some from a company selling the adhesive stuff 4 for 3, but that amount will not be enough for your allotment I imagine.  If you do find a less expensive seller, do share the info - please?

buried snails

Copper collars round the base of the plants.  It does work, honestly.  My sister in law has been using them with great effect in her vegetable garden, they seem costly but do last virtually for ever so can be re-used time and time again. 

I grow around 65 different hostas in pots and nearly gave the collection  up a few years ago because of snail/slug damage, until I was told about copper tape around the pots, it really has mde a huge difference.  Even in this wet weather, there is little damage done by snails ans slugs, though there are always a few which crawl up the wet and drooping leaves, but the majority which climb the pots just do not pass the copper.

Sickly plants ? Try asprin.

Aspirin also works to perk up cut flowers in their vase for an extra few days - trim the stems, use clean water and drop half or a whole soluble aspirin in - dpendent upon the size of the vase.

Yes, it is good for aiing plants outdoors and in the greenhouse too though I tend to regard it as a last ditch effort when pruning, correcting water and feeding have failed. 

For whom do we garden .............

frosted lilies

out of season plants

bird feeders

Hazel nut queries

Flippin' pigeons