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Inner City - Courtyard Gardening - Infestation of Vine Weevil
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 |
#2
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Inner City - Courtyard Gardening - Infestation of Vine Weevil
"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 |
#3
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Inner City - Courtyard Gardening - Infestation of Vine Weevil
"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. *********** |
#4
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Inner City - Courtyard Gardening - Infestation of Vine Weevil
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 |
#5
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Inner City - Courtyard Gardening - Infestation of Vine Weevil
"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! |
#6
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Inner City - Courtyard Gardening - Infestation of Vine Weevil
"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) |
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