Mummy Muddy Paws

Help

James

In order to protect your courgettes, you first need to know what is eating them.  If they are small seedlings, it's most likely slugs.  You can use pellets, beer traps, gravel, copper rings/tape, nematodes, depending on how organic and how much you want to spend!  I always start off my veg seeds in plant pots, outside, but out of reach of slugs, and all but the most determined snails.  You could try raising some more seedlings in pots where slugs wont be able to get them, and then transplant them when they're a bit bigger, and not as palatable to slugs. 

I wouldn't recommend just spraying with insecticide, it may harm bees and if it's slugs, you'd just be wasting your money.  Best way is to go out at night with a torch, that's when the slugs will come out for their dinner.

MOB rants

One of my tutors at college got 'poached' many years ago, to work on their anti-porn unit, it was his job to track down where someone was using their ISP address, and they would have a visit from the boys in blue.  They would also track down the providers of such filth, and they'd have the book thrown at them, although they'd be out in a few months and back to making the hardcore stuff.  They let the other inmates know what they'd been doing, and justice in it's most basic form is what they got once they were inside.  The prison officers would let it go on, and stop it short of Murder, so most of their time was spent in Hospital Prison.

Interestingly enough, they move staff on in this unit pretty regularly, especially once they have kids, as the porn involving children is the worst (and they get years for making that, rather than months if it's just adults that are the participants).  You are not allowed to work in the unit if you have kids under 16, as the temptation to go around with a shotgun has proved too much for some people in the past.

So there are people out there that are doing their best to stop this, but it's an awful job, and there are lots of safeguards to ensure the well being of the normal people who have to watch such awful things (psych evaluations, counselling etc), to make sure it doesn't impact the good guys too deeply.

America has the right idea for child molesters, either the chair, lethal injection, life meaning life, and chemical castration being some of the weapons in their arsenal.

I think that castration should be an option in the UK, for child molesters and violent rapists/murderers.  Even if they are released, they physically wouldn't be able to do anything.  And they should be fitted with a tracker for life, so you can keep a watch on them to make sure they don't try anything else.

Rhododendron help

Have you been feeding the plant?  Because it's in ericaceous compost, you need a specialist feed.  I'd try that, your plant will look and feel better for it.  Not an expert, but I think you need a sequestered Iron feed, and if you water it, use rainwater, not tap water, especially if you're in a hard water area, as hard water contains calcium carbonate, which is alkaline, which won't do your plant any good.

I'm not sure which pest is causing the holes in the plant, but I don't think it's slugs, as rhodos have quite tough, leathery leaves, which I would have thought to be a bit to chewy for a slug to have a go at (again, I could be wrong).

I think the flowering has just been delayed this year due to the really cold start to the year.  Daffs are normally well and truly over by this time of year, I still have some in flower.  I'd feed it, and leave it, it should burst into flower pretty soon.  I'm sure someone else could suggest a culprit for eating the leaves (caterpillars maybe?), have you had a good look around, especially underneath the leaves, to see if anything is lurking there?

Annoying Miracle-Gro advert

This is annoying me, too.  More than once I've accidentally missed the 'close' button and opened the blinking thing up.  I don't think that particular product is aimed at people that already garden, as it's a 'shake over a raked area' type product that gives particular coloured flowers, which I wouldn't want.  When I do grow flowers I like to know what they are, and they're grown for a particlar reason.  Not because I want a border that's in shades of pink.

Ads to the side are fine, as they don't obscure anything and I can ignore them if I'm not interested.

Impatiens (Busy Lizzies)

I have to agree that Tesco's are irresponsible in buying the plants, lots of places only stock the New Guinea Impatiens (a different strain of busy lizzy), which seems immune to the downy mildew that devastates ordinary types.  Are you sure you've been sold the ordinary type?  Have you still got the reciept / packaging they came in, as I would be very surprised if they are the old type, it's not in Tesco's interest to stock something that may well die (especially on their shelves) if stricken with the disease.

Most people that buy bedding plants are aware of the situation, and steer well clear of the old type that can be affected, as this problem has been around now for at least two years, especially when the new guinea type is available and won't be affected.  Could it be that whoever has told you is winding you up?

I would check packaging and wait and see.  Your plants might catch the disease if they're the old type, then again they might not.  If NG impatiens, they won't. 

MOB rants

What I find really sad about April Jones' murder, is her body is still missing, and the evil scum that did it, won't say where the body is.  At least if her parents had her back, even just to bury, they would know where she was, and hopefully it would give them some sort of closure.  In these cases, I believe that the victims should have some sort of say in if/when he gets out (I hope never), what sort of torment has he thoughtlessly inflicted on her parents?  Every day of their life they will have pain, and a huge hole where their daughter once was.  I just hope what he said about running her over is true (which I doubt), and that she didn't know fear or pain before she died.

Off now to give my little ones a cuddle.

Pesky ants

Try dunking the whole thing, pot and all (assuming you can lift it) into an even larger pot filled with water.  Ants don't like being wet, and I'm assuming they've made their nest in the pot with the roots in.  Failing that, find out where they are nesting, shove the hosepipe in and give them a good soaking.  That should evict them, may have to do it a few times before they get the message and move on.

When will my asiatic/oriental lilly come through

Yep, mine are in pots too, with copper bands around them and planted in a 'pool' of sharp sand to deter slugs and help with drainage.  Mine are all up to about a foot and a half, they are the tall varieties, but I find they don't grow as big in the pots (or maybe that was just down to the c**p weather we had last year).  Think it will have to be a potted plant now, as the bulbs will have all sprouted, they had sprouted in their packs at the local dobbies, as it's always soooo hot in there, I think for the droves of elderly visitors, tutting at me when I dared to take my pushchair in there (now I just plonk the toddler in a trolley and shove that at them instead).

Where is the buzz of busy bees?

Hope so.  Last year on my daily walk to school the lavender plants used as border edging for some of the bungalows was FULL of bees, on a couple of occaisions had to tell my little boy to be careful.  This year, I've not seen one bee on it.  I'm hoping it's just down to the grotty weather at the moment, and when the sun comes out, they will be back.  It doesn't seem like summer without cricket on the radio (not that I understand a word of what they're blethering on about) and bees buzzing when you're enjoying a lazy moment in the garden.

MOB rants

CN, don't forget Shakespear!!  I nearly had Macbeth inflicted on me twice, but the lovely teacher at the school I moved to took pity on me, and we did 'The boys from the Black Stuff' instead.  Just as depressing, but with flashes of humour and a load more accessible.  I too like the Anne McCaffrey's Pern books, anything by Pratchett (Good Omens is falling to bits, it's been read and re-read so many times), Tolkien, the Philippa Gregory books, and the series of books written by PC Mike Pannett (if you don't laugh at those there's something seriously wrong with you), and for a good laugh the earlier Bill Bryson books - the later ones are good, but try too much to educate you rather than just making you laugh at his misfortunes.  I once got looked at very much askance on a train for giggling (I couldn't stop myself), until the guard lifted up the book and found I was reading 'notes from a small island', and just smiled and nodded, clipped my ticket, and left me to my mad giggling fit.

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