willowplanter

Sedum Purple Emperor

Thanks for all replies. Forgot about the dreaded vine weevil so I had a good look but thankfully no sign and lots of good strong roots and I can see some new growth in the centre of the plant so I am going with the wet weather option. Just have to hope for some Autumn sunshine!!

Sedum Purple Emperor

Some of the stems of my  Sedum Purple Emperor seems to be collapsing due to the wet weather. The thick fleshy leaves are going soft and the stems turning brown. Would it be best to a) cut all the stems back in the hope new foliage starts to grow and forfeit the flowers or b) should I just cut back the affected stems.

Box Blight

We also have problems with our box with what looks like die back but on closer inspection although the leaves have gone brown and fallen off on parts of the plant the stems still appear to be green where this has happened. We have three box pyramids and two box balls and it has only happened on the box balls on the top of the plants which get most of the weather eg "the rain". I have read an article which says  that fairly newly planted box if not having had the time to settle in properly can suffer from this type of damage in extreme weather conditions, wet, dry. It's been wet to say the least so finger crossed it is this and as an ever optimistic gardener it's fingers crossed that next year they may recover. Hope this gives you a little bit of hope.

Mealybugs

Thank you to both (marshmello and jeffd) for taking the time to reply. Jeffd I think you have hit the nail on the head with box aphid as with the descriptions of mealybugs none of them mentioned the cloud of sticky dust that appeared when touching the plant. It does say it is harmless to the plant - do you treat your hedge in anyway or do you just leave it? Once again thank you so much it's put my mind at rest. Didn't fancy having to replace that little lot!!!!! 

Mealybugs

When you see photos of mealybugs you only see small amounts in the photos, I have just come in from the garden in despair. I have five box pyramids and three box balls and without a word of a lie they are covered. It looks as if it has been snowing, I've never seen so many. I had some Rose Clear so I sprayed one of the trees with this and it does seem to be doing some good - does anyone know what the best solution is? I couldn't use a biological control as there is so much of it - it would need an army of ladybirds. I have also read that they can infest the soil and as they arn't in pots how would you control this? When I spray the bugs they fall to the ground in great numbers. Is it normal to get such a major infestation and is it possible it could be something else? How dose such a small creature lay so many eggs over such a great distance. I have never had mealybugs before in all the 36 years we have had this garden. HELP!!!!!

propogation

Yes that's the one and I lost mine over winter so I've bough a new tuber and it's sprouting well. I was hoping it would be possible to propagate in a similar way to dahlias as yet the cuttings I have taken don't look very happy

propogation

Does anyone know if it is possible to take cuttings of Cosmos Choca Mocha and if so how should I go about it?

overwintering

I was led to believe that to overwinter Cosmos Chocamocha you treated them like Dahlia's? I recently potted up last years corm and on inspection today found the corm had rotted. A new corm that I bought this year and potted up at the same time is growing well. Should I have treated it as my Canna Lily and kept it in slightly damp soil in a frost free place over winter? The Canna Lily is now growing strongly.

New site - bugs

Hi are the scrapbook cuttings still being imported as tried to import the How to take Dogwood Cuttings article into my scrapbook and it won't?

Wood Mice

Thanks for that, as you say it depends on our outlook, think we will just go with the flow at the moment and see what happens to the population over the next few months, as the older we get the more precious any life becomes.

Sedum Purple Emperor

Mealybugs

propogation

overwintering

Wood Mice

Astrantia