Just an update to using wood ash to ward off snails and slugs.

Didnt work for me. I had to move the tomatoes into the garden and within
a couple of days the whole crop was eaten even with a good ridge of ash
around the outside. I kept it protected from the rain so it didnt get
wet. My aubergines were half destroyed too so I've brought the remains
in and will continue them indoors for a while.

The only luck I do seem to have in the garden is with fruit. My red
currents, black current, alpine strawberry (fruiting even into December)
and blackberry being the best and most reliable crops. There is only a
slight nibble to the strawberry by snails. Red current has already some
small green berries.

My fig is getting better each year as it matures. There's fruit now
which is bigger than last year for this time of season. My grape vines
which I thought were dead have been going nuts over the past couple of
weeks.

The dwarf pear which looked promising wintering indoors was a massive
fight against insects and I think I might have lost. I slug it outside
to try and encourage natural predators but it may have been too late to
save it for this year.

I have a small cobnut tree in a large tub which it seems very happy with
so I'm looking forward to Septembers possible crop of nuts.

Coriander that was in the kitchen window has now been moved as the
direct sun was starting to have an effect on the leaves. I'm happy with
the fast growth and it's a nice smell too.There is a small basil growing
with it and it's now picking up in growth. Some rosso which I can't wait
to try. Have just repotted some bell peppers and chili which is growing
well.

I'm expecting another good summer as a plant that I've had for the past
six years usually flowers a month early (April and not May) if the
summer is going to look good. I've done that two years in a row now.

Oh. Not all just about the ash. Sorry. But I'm getting excited about all
the nice fruit we're going to have in the next few months. :-)

I think another grape vine and some more fruits are on my shopping list.

Kev,

Forgot to add I have raspberry canes but I'm not sure what they are
doing! Could be weeds coming up from underneath or it might be side
stems. I'll just wait and see.

Kev,

In article , Kevin Groves
writes
Just an update to using wood ash to ward off snails and slugs.

What about coal ash? I thought it was a physical effect - something
nasty and sharp which the don't want to slide over.

My aubergines were half destroyed too so I've brought the remains
in and will continue them indoors for a while.

Watch out for red spider! ;-)

The only luck I do seem to have in the garden is with fruit. My red
currents, black current, alpine strawberry (fruiting even into December)
and blackberry being the best and most reliable crops.

Try some of the blackberry hybrids - loganberry, tayberry, boysenberry
etc.
Oh, and you can get white currants too.


I think another grape vine and some more fruits are on my shopping list.

I like growing fruit. Much less hassle than veg, and it's expensive to
buy, so seems a great choice for the garden.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

"Kevin Groves" wrote in message
...
Just an update to using wood ash to ward off snails and slugs.

Didnt work for me. I had to move the tomatoes into the garden and within a
couple of days the whole crop was eaten even with a good ridge of ash
around the outside.
snip
To protect outdoor tomatoes from slugs, I cut the bottoms off the plant pots
and then half bury the pots in the soil. I then put a thin one inch wide
layer of vaseline/petrolium jelly, around the outside rim. Slugs and snails
wont cross it. Replenish every 3 weeks.

Pete

Kay Easton wrote:
My aubergines were half destroyed too so I've brought the remains
in and will continue them indoors for a while.


Watch out for red spider! ;-)

Thank you! Something else to try and find a natural predator for.


Try some of the blackberry hybrids - loganberry, tayberry, boysenberry
etc.
Oh, and you can get white currants too.

I just couldnt help it but I saw a nice dwarf apple (James Grieve) and
it looked so nice....


I like growing fruit. Much less hassle than veg, and it's expensive to
buy, so seems a great choice for the garden.

I will have a look around for some more fruits but will have to try and
stick to something a bit smaller as I'm loosing space to put large tubs
of stuff now.

Kev,

Cumberpach wrote:
snip
To protect outdoor tomatoes from slugs, I cut the bottoms off the plant pots
and then half bury the pots in the soil. I then put a thin one inch wide
layer of vaseline/petrolium jelly, around the outside rim. Slugs and snails
wont cross it. Replenish every 3 weeks.

Thanks I'll give that one ago and if it works I'll dump my ash onto the
compost.
Kev,

In article , Kevin Groves
writes
Kay Easton wrote:
My aubergines were half destroyed too so I've brought the remains
in and will continue them indoors for a while.


Watch out for red spider! ;-)

Thank you! Something else to try and find a natural predator for.

There is one, available fro the sort of places that sell these things.
It works very well.


Try some of the blackberry hybrids - loganberry, tayberry, boysenberry
etc.
Oh, and you can get white currants too.

I just couldnt help it but I saw a nice dwarf apple (James Grieve) and
it looked so nice....

Have you got a pollinator for it?


--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

In article , (Kevin
Groves) wrote:

I have raspberry canes but I'm not sure what they are
doing! Could be weeds coming up from underneath or it might be side
stems.

New shoots of raspberries are fairly obviously children of the parent to
look at.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

Steve Harris wrote:

New shoots of raspberries are fairly obviously children of the parent to
look at.

Weeds then. :-( Will have a closer look for next season
Kev,

Kay Easton wrote:

Have you got a pollinator for it?

It says it doesnt need one but there is a huge apple tree a couple of
gardens away.

Kev,

Cumberpach wrote:
around the outside.
snip
To protect outdoor tomatoes from slugs, I cut the bottoms off the plant pots
and then half bury the pots in the soil. I then put a thin one inch wide
layer of vaseline/petrolium jelly, around the outside rim. Slugs and snails
wont cross it. Replenish every 3 weeks.

Or copper tape. They won't cross that either.

--
Mark Allison, SQL Server MVP
http://www.markallison.co.uk

I just couldnt help it but I saw a nice dwarf apple (James Grieve) and
it looked so nice....

Found out today that the apple trees we used to have in the garden at
home were this variety. I remember them being quite nice even when they
were yound trees.

Kev,

"Kevin Groves" wrote in message
...
I just couldnt help it but I saw a nice dwarf apple (James Grieve) and
it looked so nice....

Found out today that the apple trees we used to have in the garden at
home were this variety. I remember them being quite nice even when they
were yound trees.

Kev,

Yes, we have James Grieve and it's a good apple.
But our absolute favourite is Katy. This produces impossibly red fruit that
look really wonderful on the tree througthout the summer. They look so good
we never want to pick them. But when we do .... crisp, juicy and the best
flavour of any of our apples ( Cox, Ida, James Grieve,Gala and Katy)

Sue da Nimm wrote:
Yes, we have James Grieve and it's a good apple.

I think there were a few to choose from but I grabbed the first I could
which looked a good prospect.

But our absolute favourite is Katy. This produces impossibly red fruit that
look really wonderful on the tree througthout the summer. They look so good

The tree tree a couple of gardens away I thought were just large green
things until towards the end of last seaon where they turned out huge
red things and lots of them. They all went though so I don't know what
happened to them. I might pop round there this summer and see if they
want 'a hand'. :-)

Kev,