Dear All

I am seeking some advice please. I've done a quick search on this group but
cannot immediately identify the FAQs file - any pointers in the right
direction would be much appreciated as I have a feeling that my questions
will have been covered before.

Vine Weevil. Got the blighters back again, my second year in the garden and
the 2nd year they're back. Last year I picked up some std vine weevil
killer from the garden centre and duly drenched pots (at the time no
borders) twice, early summer and Oct time. This year, lots more work done
and I now have raised beds AND the same amount of pots. I spotted the
adults about 3-4 weeks ago (pale walls which they show up lovely on!) and
have dealt with the obvious ones. I went onto the internet tonight to check
up on other 'killers' available and found that one product has been removed
from the market - one which I remember as being so much cheaper than the
tiny little pots I bought at the garden centre last year.

I have around 50 pots, varying sizes (most around 12 " on average), raised
beds (each around 8
ft long x 3 ft high). How the heck do I drench this lot to kill the beetles
without it costing the arm and leg I'm already missing? Obviously it's
going to cost me more to replace the plants I've already bought if I let it
go, but it's a close call buying teeny pots at £4.99-£5.99 which treats such
a tiny area at a time. I'm doing the vigilant thing by keep moving the pots
around to get the slugs and beetles first thing in the morning but have
stopped short (yet) of torchlight. (Done it before with slugs in the last
place - done away with slug pellets by enticing in hedgehogs with a certain
brand of cat food, a certain other foodstore's own make didn't quite cut the
crust unfortunately!!)

I really want this garden to work, it's so important to me, but not at the
expense of a re-occurring cost that is going to break me and take away the
joy I have with making such a lovely oasis in the middle of inner-city
dwelling. Perhaps I'm just being naive, and that's why the garden was SO
bare of anything even remotely green when I moved in? I need to find a way
of making this work. All help appreciated.

Sharon

"Sharon Hughes" wrote in message
...
Dear All

I am seeking some advice please. I've done a quick search on this group but
cannot immediately identify the FAQs file - any pointers in the right
direction would be much appreciated as I have a feeling that my questions
will have been covered before.

The FAQ's are at : http://www.tmac.clara.co.uk/urgring/urgfaqs.htm
I should add that most of them are perhaps a little 'dated'...........

snip

I have around 50 pots, varying sizes (most around 12 " on average), raised
beds (each around 8
ft long x 3 ft high). How the heck do I drench this lot to kill the beetles
without it costing the arm and leg I'm already missing? Obviously it's
going to cost me more to replace the plants I've already bought if I let it
go, but it's a close call buying teeny pots at £4.99-£5.99 which treats such
a tiny area at a time.

VW's don't seem to like all plants. Some thing are completly left alone IMO

I'm doing the vigilant thing by keep moving the pots
around to get the slugs and beetles first thing in the morning but have
stopped short (yet) of torchlight. (Done it before with slugs in the last
place - done away with slug pellets by enticing in hedgehogs with a certain
brand of cat food, a certain other foodstore's own make didn't quite cut the
crust unfortunately!!)

Keep on with the search and destroy mode - you'll at least make a big dent in
the population :~)

I really want this garden to work, it's so important to me, but not at the
expense of a re-occurring cost that is going to break me and take away the
joy I have with making such a lovely oasis in the middle of inner-city
dwelling. Perhaps I'm just being naive, and that's why the garden was SO
bare of anything even remotely green when I moved in? I need to find a way
of making this work. All help appreciated.

I would guess that the previous owners were not keen gardeners. My inner city
garden was a concrete wasteland before I moved in :~) Pictures etc at:
http://members.rott.chello.nl/ldejag...ex.welcome.htm

Good luck and don't give up. Jenny

"Sharon Hughes" wrote in message
...
Dear All

I am seeking some advice please. I've done a quick search on this group
but
cannot immediately identify the FAQs file - any pointers in the right
direction would be much appreciated as I have a feeling that my questions
will have been covered before.

Vine Weevil. Got the blighters back again, my second year in the garden
and
the 2nd year they're back. Last year I picked up some std vine weevil
killer from the garden centre and duly drenched pots (at the time no
borders) twice, early summer and Oct time. This year, lots more work done
and I now have raised beds AND the same amount of pots. I spotted the
adults about 3-4 weeks ago (pale walls which they show up lovely on!) and
have dealt with the obvious ones. I went onto the internet tonight to
check
up on other 'killers' available and found that one product has been
removed
from the market - one which I remember as being so much cheaper than the
tiny little pots I bought at the garden centre last year.

I have around 50 pots, varying sizes (most around 12 " on average), raised
beds (each around 8
ft long x 3 ft high). How the heck do I drench this lot to kill the
beetles
without it costing the arm and leg I'm already missing? Obviously it's
going to cost me more to replace the plants I've already bought if I let
it
go, but it's a close call buying teeny pots at £4.99-£5.99 which treats
such
a tiny area at a time. I'm doing the vigilant thing by keep moving the
pots
around to get the slugs and beetles first thing in the morning but have
stopped short (yet) of torchlight. (Done it before with slugs in the last
place - done away with slug pellets by enticing in hedgehogs with a
certain
brand of cat food, a certain other foodstore's own make didn't quite cut
the
crust unfortunately!!)

I really want this garden to work, it's so important to me, but not at
the
expense of a re-occurring cost that is going to break me and take away the
joy I have with making such a lovely oasis in the middle of inner-city
dwelling. Perhaps I'm just being naive, and that's why the garden was SO
bare of anything even remotely green when I moved in? I need to find a
way
of making this work. All help appreciated.

Sharon

************

Afraid *I* can't help, - sorry!
They beat me in the end. I used 12x1 foot square plastic 'pots hung from
brackets ,(to foil the pests) with car grease barriers on them on all
supporting and crossbeams in my greenhouse to grow each of 10 Maxim
strawberries (to curry favour with Her indoors.) They would get going nicely
and then many used to collapse and on examination the accursed little
curled-up-bodied blighters had been scoffing away at the root meat.
And that's the problem. my brother, a clematis nurseryman now pottering
around with the angels used to use a watered powder but it got banned. He
said that because they are right in the middle of the root column the new
killer- powders , when watered on the pot surface didn't reach the little
blighters
feeding away there up in their little dugout holes in the root mass.
In an adjoining greenhouse I had two mature grapes growing. I never saw any
beetles under the loose
branch 'peel' but I decided to sacrifice them. For two reasons I can't
assess whether the reduction in the number of those pests was due to the
vine absence or the introduction of a frog and toad pond around about that
time.
If you find a cure do let us know at once, please!, - t'Missis misses them
thar strawbums!.
Doug.
***********

On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 19:32:46 +0100, "Sharon Hughes"
wrote:

I have around 50 pots, varying sizes (most around 12 " on average), raised
beds (each around 8
ft long x 3 ft high). How the heck do I drench this lot to kill the beetles
without it costing the arm and leg I'm already missing? Obviously it's
going to cost me more to replace the plants I've already bought if I let it
go, but it's a close call buying teeny pots at £4.99-£5.99 which treats such
a tiny area at a time.

Have you tried biological control? I had terrible problems with vine
weevil and it was the only thing that really worked, though it had to
be applied twice in one year (beginning and end of season) because it
works on grubs, not adults. This isn't much of a problem as it's the
grubs that do the damage - the adults just notch the leaves;
unsightly, but unlikely to kill the plant.

Have a look at http://www.defenders.co.uk/vine_weevil_control.htm
You get a sand-filled pot containing nematodes which you mix with
water, then water on as usual. I think one of the small sizes (about
a tenner) would do for your pots and beds. Apparently some garden
centres are now doing biological controls by keeping fridges in-store;
worth checking out in your area.

Sarah

"JennyC" wrote in message
...

"Sharon Hughes" wrote in message
...
Dear All

I am seeking some advice please. I've done a quick search on this group
but
cannot immediately identify the FAQs file - any pointers in the right
direction would be much appreciated as I have a feeling that my
questions
will have been covered before.

The FAQ's are at : http://www.tmac.clara.co.uk/urgring/urgfaqs.htm
I should add that most of them are perhaps a little 'dated'...........

snip

snip

Keep on with the search and destroy mode - you'll at least make a big dent
in
the population :~)

I would guess that the previous owners were not keen gardeners. My inner
city
garden was a concrete wasteland before I moved in :~) Pictures etc at:
http://members.rott.chello.nl/ldejag...ex.welcome.htm

Good luck and don't give up. Jenny

Inspirational photos! You must be really proud of what you've achieved,
fantastic. I do find this gardening thing pretty contagious - having put
pots out the front of the house last year and again this year I've noticed
more and more neighbours planting up outside the front too, makes such a
difference and makes the area looked a lot more loved. Thanks to all who
replied, much appreciated. I think I might try the nematode approach this
year and hope for the best.
Happy gardening this weekend to all!

"Sharon Hughes" wrote in message
...

"JennyC" wrote in message
...

"Sharon Hughes" wrote in message
...
Dear All

I am seeking some advice please. I've done a quick search on this
group
but
cannot immediately identify the FAQs file - any pointers in the right
direction would be much appreciated as I have a feeling that my
questions
will have been covered before.

The FAQ's are at : http://www.tmac.clara.co.uk/urgring/urgfaqs.htm
I should add that most of them are perhaps a little 'dated'...........

snip

snip

Keep on with the search and destroy mode - you'll at least make a big
dent
in
the population :~)

I would guess that the previous owners were not keen gardeners. My inner
city
garden was a concrete wasteland before I moved in :~) Pictures etc at:
http://members.rott.chello.nl/ldejag...ex.welcome.htm

Good luck and don't give up. Jenny

Inspirational photos! You must be really proud of what you've achieved,
fantastic. I do find this gardening thing pretty contagious - having put
pots out the front of the house last year and again this year I've noticed
more and more neighbours planting up outside the front too, makes such a
difference and makes the area looked a lot more loved. Thanks to all who
replied, much appreciated. I think I might try the nematode approach this
year and hope for the best.
Happy gardening this weekend to all!

Don't know that it helps in the short term but we find one of the main
things that eat vine weevils are toads, they only eat the adults but as
jenny says every little helps! so if you have not already got a pond a small
one may be a good idea :~)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)