Gardeners Tips » Pests, Problems and Health

Prevention and Cure for Caterpillar Damage

hortoris — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:16:23 +0000

Butterflies are nice in the garden but caterpillars can cause havoc. Brassicas like Cabbages, Brussel Sprouts, and Broccoli are particularly prone to attack from Cabbage White caterpillars as you can see from my veg plot above.

Prevention and Cure for Caterpillar Damage

Encourage the caterpillar’s natural enemies, such as wasps and birds for an environmentally sound and least cost method of dealing with caterpillar problems.
Picking off caterpillars one by one together with any eggs is satisfying but a bit tedious if you have a lot of plants.
Spray with soft soapy water and drop any caterpillars you have picked into soap water.
I could have used a systemic insecticide if the EU allows and I wanted food with a residue of chemicals but that was not for me.
A contact insecticide relies on hitting the creatures before they have done the damage and is still chemically based.
Netting the brassicas would be a sensible prevention measure. I do that to prevent pigeons eating the young plants.
Buy a biological control like Trichogramma wasps.They will act as parasites on the caterpillars.
Accept that you will get some damage for the joy you get from buttterflies.

Reasons to Look After Caterpillars

Caterpillars are an important part of the ecological mix. When they mature they help pollination provide food for wild l;ife and play an important part in the natural life cycle.
Caterpillars turn into wild butterflies and moths.
Carterpillars provide loads and loads of food for small birds and other creatures further up the food chain.
Ask any small child who has been captivated by caterpillars.

Credits
Caterpillar 1 enlarged by Loco Steve CC BY 2.0
caterpillar by squeakychu CC BY-NC 2.0

Cure Bitter Pit on Apple Trees

hortoris — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:01:43 +0000

Brown spots in the flesh of your apples is a sure sign of Bitter Pit. Along with dark depressions in the skin, brown sports dotted throughout the flesh is typical of bitter pit on your apple trees.
Bitter pit is a disorder not an infection or infestation.
Unfortunately the flesh of badly affected apple trees will also taste rather bitter

What Cause Bitter Pit on Apples

The disorder is usually brought about by a calcium deficiency.
Another potential cause is a susceptibility of the variety.
An erratic supply of water will also encourage the disorder.
Young trees that are putting on a lot of growth are also rather susceptible.
Early picking can cause bitter pit to develop during storage.

How do you Cure Bitter Pit on Apples

Spray the developing fruit with Chempak Calcium mulit-action
Foliar sprays of calcium nitrate can be applied from mid-June to mid-September
Make sure your trees are mulched and well watered.
Some varieties such as Bramley Seedling and Gascoigne’s Scarlet are more prone than others. Check what grows well in your area and try plant those varieties, Gala is said to be free of the problem.
Prevention is the best cure using good cultivation practices.

Credits
DSC_0125.jpg Gascoigne’s Scarlet. by northdevonfarmer CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ‘Gascoign’s Scarlet. These apples always seem to be affected by bitter pit here.’

Different Methods For Dealing With Slugs

hortoris — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 08:50:46 +0000

Do not be content with a single method of deterring slugs. Alan Titchmarsh told us years ago to ‘use several organic methods and reapply them regularly.’
Why settle for one remedy when you have a veritable arsenal of multiple methods for dealing with slugs.

Organic Slug Methods

Encourage more slug predators. Ground beetles are the thing and they love undisturbed clumps of Cocksfoot or Timothy grass. Frogs are also a useful predator to slugs
Read more about biological pest control methods with multiple nematodes to kill your slugs
There are now numerous packaged products to part you from your cash in return for parting you from your slugs.
Hoe the ground and bring the slug eggs to the surface for birds to eat.

Copper Based Slug Methods

Slugs dislike copper (unlike local metal thieves). You can use copper pipe hammered flat or lightening conductor.
Copper tape is sold for slugging it to slugs at most garden centers
Copper bands or collars can be very effective against slugs. Use them around your brassicas.
Copper tools like trowels are satisfying to use but may not do much to your slug population.
Slug and Snail Shocka is a large mat impregnated with copper.

Take extra care around slug favourites!

Chemical Slug Methods

If you want to know why you should slug your slugs with some form of chemical treatment look at my Hostas on this page.
For hard to find slugs and snails I still use a sprinkling of the old blue pellets.
Slug Pellets and Slug Exterminator at Amazon

So Alan may be right a multi-punch mix and match approach may work. You can never do too much to deter slugs and snails from chomping your delicate plants.
If Frank Bruno was a gardener he would slug slugs with more than one punch at once.
However slugs were around before modern gardeners and you could adopt a policy of live and let live.

Credits
Slug by frankenstoen CC BY 2.0
slug by “Cowboy” Ben Alman CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Composting Moss and Other Moss Cures

tejvan — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:23:59 +0000

Readers Question: Is it OK to Compost Moss?

‘I have just been raking a lot of moss from my lawn. It’s surprising how much moss I was able to rake off and naturally I would like to compost it.’ Then I want to cure the problem.

Like any organic matter, moss will compost down and make compost over time but it may take a long time!. However composting is not a good cure and I would avoid putting it on my heap for fear of spreading the moss around.

I would dig a hole under my runner bean trench and bury the moss at least 12″ deep.

One trick, as with any composting is to mix it with other materials, such as grass clippings and woodier plant stems. If mixed together the moss should compost down depending on how well watered and aerated the compost heap is. Moss grows from spores and it is possible they will not be killed by the heat in your compost bin.

Other uses for moss include lining the inside of hanging baskets. These days, artificial linings are used, but, moss has many properties including water retention which make it excellent for lining an hanging basket

Background Facts on Moss

There are thousands of different types of moss.
Mosses are used on green roofs due to, reduced weight loads, increased water absorption, no fertilizer requirements, and high drought tolerance.
Mosses do not have true roots so do not absorb water or nutrients from soil.
Some mosses grow on trees but are not parasitic on the tree.
Moss can be used in bonsai to cover the soil and enhance the impression of age.

Problems & Cures for Moss

Moss can colonise a badly drained or compacted lawn and look unsightly.
Unwanted moss can grow on paths and roofs.
Moss growth on seed pots can smother seedling emergence.
Moss growth can be inhibited by

Cutting the supply of water through better drainage.
Increasing direct sunlight.
Increasing the soil pH with the application of lime.
Regular hoeing and disturbing the soil around the moss with a rake
Application of chemicals such as ferrous sulfate (e.g. in lawns) or bleach (e.g. on solid surfaces).
Encourage and help competitive plants like grasses.
Top dress plants in containers with sand, gravel, and rock chips for faster drainage to discourage moss growth.
Chemicals products containing ferrous sulfate or ferrous ammonium sulfate will kill moss.

Moss will recur if the growing conditions are not changed. Killing moss is not a one time operation.

Credits
Moss 01 by Enygmatic-Halycon CC BY-SA 2.0
Moss on tree stump by Pete Reed CC BY-NC 2.0
Moss peat and other products from Amazon

Moss Gardening: Including Lichens, Liverworts and Other Miniatures by George Schenk

The Best Time To Water Your Garden

tejvan — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:26:42 +0000

Readers Question: I would like to ask if there are specific times of the day that you can only water the plants to maximize their growth. Thanks for being open for questions about gardening because I really want to grow more of our own plants in the next few months. from: Gardeners Questions

The best time of the day to water plants is in evening or early morning. This is mainly because the watering will be more efficient. Away from glare of sun, the water has time to seep into soil before evaporating.
The main thing is getting the right amount of water to the plant, the time of watering won’t really affect growth. Though in greenhouses, watering during the day, can help keep temperature down (dampening effect)

Other Tips for Watering Plants

The most critical time for watering is:

When plants are in flower or leaves are limp early in the morning.
When soft fruits have started to form
When plants are newly planted or transplanted.
When plants start to show signs of distress.

When you water make sure it seeps down to roots and soaks the soil and not just first inch otherwise roots will grow upwards or stay on the dry surface.
It is better to water thoroughly but less often than frequently and often.
Try mulching after a good watering. Mulch is anything that preserves moisture of soil.
Different Plants have much different needs for watering.

Best Time To Water Your Garden

The Best Time To Water Your Garden is when the plants are just beginning to suffer from a lack of water.
With new drought controls in parts of the UK, the Best Time To Water Your Garden may be when no one is looking. (Only joking you will be watering with grey water and water collected from a rain butt won’t you.
Thinking about watering restrictions just a reminder the your garden does not need watering! Save your energy and water for those ‘at risk’ plants that really need water and be focused on your watering programme.

Related

Credit
water is unfit for human consumption by woodleywonderworks CC BY 2.0

Five Soil Types

hortoris — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:27:18 +0000

There are potentially as many soils as there are gardens but they can be classified into five types.

Heavy Clay Soil
Minute particles of clay stick together in a gluey mess when wet and go rock hard when dry.
Often clay soil is very fertile. Clay soils can be improved with drainage, coarse grit, or the addition of coarse organic matter as humus.

Sandy Soil
Sand particles are much larger than clay making sandy soil free draining, light and quick to warm up in spring. Nutrients wash through quickly and watering and feeding of plants is needed. Sandy soil can be improved with the addition of humus.

Lime free Soil
Peaty or dark lime free soils are generally rich in organic matter. Acid in nature, below ph7.0, they tend to be moisture retentive and suit acid loving plants. In extremes they may be hard to re-wet if they dry out too much. Perennial plant selection

Alkaline Soil
Limey soils are often pale, shallow and stoney. They are free draining and quick to warm up in the sunshine. Moderately fertile they benefit from the addition of organic matter.

Average Soil

The dream of every gardener and found when soil has been well cultivated and enhanced for many seasons. Local conditions make a fixed definition hard but reasonable drainage and neutral to slightly acid soil makes for an average soil that is suitable for the majority of plants.

Soil Tips

Consider your own soil by looking at the colour, feeling the texture and observing the plants that grow best in yours or local soils.
Avoid boggy soil that will not drain as plants need air at their roots or they rot or drown. Airless soil also attracts moss.
Impoverished soils have the nutrients leached out with water or taken by earlier crops. Add back humus as well as general NPK fertilisers.

Credits
Soil Color and Quality by elvisripley CC BY-NC 2.0

Red Spider Mite Control and Prevention

hortoris — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:02:28 +0000

There are a lot of things to go wrong with plants in the greenhouse but a red spider mite infestation is one of the most frustrating. This tomato plant in India has had its day.

Basic Information on Red Spider Mite

Plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries grown indoors in poly-tunnels or greenhouses are the most susceptible . Apple, peach and plum trees can also suffer.
Identifying the mites by the naked eye is difficult but the webs between plant stems often show up when watering or by evening torch light.
Plant damage is mainly to the leaves with light mottling, loss of colour and curled edges. This is followed by leaf fall and death or the plant.

Organic Control of Red Spider Mite

Keep the atmosphere humid by misting, spraying the underside of leaves and damping down the soil to discourage development and destroy breeding sites.
Eliminate over wintering sites by clearing out debris and disinfecting plant pots
Hot dry conditions attract red spider mites so give your pot plants some fresh air outside.
Use a biological control which breeds faster than the red spider mite and eats them and their eggs as its staple diet. Phytoseiulus persimillis will do the job these insects die when all the mites are eaten so you need new stock each year.
Spider mite killer and bio-controls available from Amazon and Tozer seeds.

Credit
Red spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) by Gnilenkov Aleksey CC BY 2.0
Red Spider Mite – Mitopus morio by omarrun CC BY 2.0

Moss in Your Lawn – You Are Not Alone

hortoris — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:19:58 +0000

After a wet winter it is a good if your lawn has no moss but it is unlikely. The yellower green patches on the photo above are where the moss is beating the grass.

Where Moss Thrives in Lawns

If the ground and soil under the lawn is compacted
Waterlogging or poor drainage encourages lawn moss (and moss in other areas too)
The grass that has been scalped by the lawn mower which cuts too short is an open invitation for moss to grow
If moss has previously been growing it is likely to return.
Where the lawn is old and a thatch of dead grass has built up and not been raked out or aerated
Moss will grow if the lawn is in the shade or overhung with trees, if the soil is impoverished or if you are an unlucky gardener.

Treatments and Tips

Don’t try to compost old moss – a normal compost heap won’t help as moss wont rot it just goes into suspended animation. So the moss will be returned with the compost
Lawn sand is a proprietary formula of chemically treated fine sand using ammonium and iron sulphate. Spread evenly in April when rain is expected this can kill and turn the moss black.
Liquid lawn moss killers and mixed granular ‘feed and weed’ products like ‘Evergreen Organic Choice’ can help keep the moss at bay. Follow the instructions on the box, bottle or packet.
Introduce air and drainage by spiking well. A hollow tined for will remove plugs of soil to aid this process.
Read more tips on Controlling Moss and about Moss Cures on Gardening Products.

Prevention may be the best course

Aerate the soil regularly by using a hollow pronged fork. This I have found labour intensive, difficult and not very satisfying.
Other aeration methods include special motorised devices can be hired to do the job. You can also get machines that scarify the thatch, dead leaves and moss.
Feed the grass in spring and autumn with appropriate fertilizer.
Try avoid too much compaction in difficult areas – keep the kids on hard wearing area
Do not cut the grass too short
If all else fails turn the lawn into a meadow or better still flower beds
Moss thrives where grass struggles to grow. The best way to prevent excess moss growth is to provide conditions for strong grass growth.

Five things to do with Moss

Kill it regularly and often
Collect it and keep it in a bag until it dies
Put plant pots on top of it so it never sees the light of day
Cultivate it in the same wet spot for thousands of years then dig it up and burn it
Did I mention killing it

source

I have a great crop of Moss but I have no idea what I can do with it.
It grows on Roof tiles, rocks, in lawns and on some paths and is a right proper nuisance. Your ideas and tips would be welcomed.

I am told that it is a clear sign that my lawn isn’t properly drained eventhough it is on a slope all the moss is at the top – go figure.
I will apply lawn sand containing dicholorophen and iron sulphate as long as the European garden police haven’t banned them. Then I can safely rake it up without spreading more spores – until next time.
Improved drainage is the only long term cure and I might have to hire an aerator or JCB
Collecting all the moss together I will leave it to go black and die when it can be used as an acid mulch for Azaleas and acid lovers
As another tip it can be used at the bottom of a plant holder for the pot to stand on. It keeps it all moist.
Mixing moss with beer and sugar creates a mixture to paint on new fences and pots to give them an algea covering and and quick ageing.
The over cropping of Sphagnum moss is causing peat bogs to dry out too quickly so try Highland moss which grows in pine forests for a sustainable hanging basket moss

Garden Frost the Pros and Cons

hortoris — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 07:01:08 +0000

Frost is not all that bad particularly when it happens at the right time of year. It can play havoc at the wrong time of year but first we will look at what good can be achieved with frost.

The Pros of Frost

Frost can kill off aphids and winter bugs in the garden. For bugs that burrow into the soil you need a prolonged hard frost and then it gets a bit more iffy.
The first frost is a signal of seasonal change. Nature is warned winter in nigh and can take appropriate action. It is unfair for plants to continue growing into winter if they need a seasons rest.
Frost can help wake the dormancy of some seeds and the improve the health of roots on some bulbs and perennials.
Frost can help winter vegetables like Brussel Sprouts to improve their sweetness and flavour.
Frost will break down the clods of soil in your vegetable garden if it has been dug over and left in lumps.
Frost decorates the edges of dead grass, seedheads and stems and can be a design feature in a cold garden.

The Cons of Frost

Fruit tree buds and blossom can suffer frost damage and reduce your crop.
The buds of Magnolia and Camellia can easily be damaged by frost particularly if the early morning sun melts the frost too quickly.
Plants should not be planted into frosty soil as a chill will give them a severe set back or kill them.
If shrubs or trees arrive at the wrong time ‘heel them in’ or cover with sacking until there is a gap in the frosty conditions.
Frost can kill half hardy annuals – be patient! Plant later they will catch up.
Young or sappy growth can be blackened by frost without the plant being killed. In spring trim off the damage.
Frost discourage armchair gardeners but provides a time to tidy the shed or greenhouse.

Frost Prevention Measures

Frost will slow or stop a compost heap from decomposing. Cover the top and insulate the sides to retain heat.
Outdoor taps can freeze up so lag your taps and pipes. Drain pipes and areas that do not need water through winter.
Keep and use a good supply of horticultural fleece to cover buds and early flowers.
Frost gathers in low lying pockets. Cold air runs down hill. Do not plant tender plants in frost pockets or keep pots etc at the foot of slopes.
Use the walls and eves of houses as gentle protection from severe frost.
Read Frost Damage to Plants
Stop ponds containing fish from freezing over by gentle agitation or a heater

Homemade Organic Garden Sprays

hortoris — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:21:02 +0000

If you do not want to use chemical sprays on your vegetables and plants, how will you protect your crops.
There are several organic sprays you can use and many can be prepared simply at home or in the garden shed.

Organic Tips

Well you could try mix your own but test them on single plants first, monitoring effects for a couple of days.

Several DIY recipes are available but I use a very weak solution of Comfrey water as a foliar feed. I put a good bunch of leaves in an old water butt for a fortnight then dilute the liquid to a weak tea colour.

For insect infestation try a stew brewed from rhubarb leaves and a bit of vegetable oil. Crush the leaves then poor boiling water over it and let is soak for a day or two then drain off and dilute to look like weak tea and spray of water it on after adding the oil to help it stick to the plants.
Recommended for Roses is a pyrethrum base home made from Chrysanthemum cinerariefolium or Dalmatian chrysanthemums. They are safe to use on vegetables and they are safe to eat after 24 hours if washed.
The soil association will allow farmers to use copper compounds on potatoes and sulphur isn’t totally banned.
‘Organic’ products from garden supply companies can be bought from Amazon
Milk is a mild acid and has some fungicidal properties if you want to spray a 50% solution on mildew.

Types of Sprayer

End of Hose sprayers are the simplest and least expensive of the category but not very suitable for organic sprays.
Compression sprayers use concentrated material added to the tank with water to a marked fill line. The remaining air is pressurized by pumping a handle. A wand then allows the fluid to be sprayed close to the problem
A two pint sprayer is probably suitable for many jobs – this large one is £10 from Ebay shops
Backpack sprayers or powered sprayers are better for farmers and small holdings

Homemade Insecticide & Repellant

Take an entire garlic bulb and two cups of water and mash it up together. Sieve or strain the liquid to remove dross.
Allow to settle in a container and for a couple of days.
Mix liquid with one gallon of water and spray liberally on top and bottom of leaves.
Unless you like the smell keep the spray away from your clothes.
A teaspoon of washing up liquid in a gallon of spray helps the spray to adhere to the plants leaves and stems.