"undergroundbob" wrote in
message ...

Hi all, I've been re-potting my bulbs, as one does at this time of year,
and have found that the deeper soil in many of the pots is full of
little round bright yellow eggs, about the size of peppercorns. They
contain a gritty white goo and crush easily. I assumed they must be
some sort of common insect, but neither of my gardening gurus (my dad
and my dad-in-law) had seen them before, and i couldn't find any
obvious matches on the net. It's beginning to intrigue me....can anyone
ease my bafflement??


--
undergroundbob

Did the compost in which these yellow spheres are found come with the plan
i.e.from a nursery? If so it may be slow release fertiliser. Apparently
these arevery similar to snails eggs,but snails eggs are greyish.

Andy.

Hi all, I've been re-potting my bulbs, as one does at this time of year, and have found that the deeper soil in many of the pots is full of little round bright yellow eggs, about the size of peppercorns. They contain a gritty white goo and crush easily. I assumed they must be some sort of common insect, but neither of my gardening gurus (my dad and my dad-in-law) had seen them before, and i couldn't find any obvious matches on the net. It's beginning to intrigue me....can anyone ease my bafflement??

Oops! forgot to say that I live in Glasgow, we've had a damp old summer and this is my first post so go easy on me! thanks, Bob

"undergroundbob" wrote in
message ...

Hi all, I've been re-potting my bulbs, as one does at this time of year,
and have found that the deeper soil in many of the pots is full of
little round bright yellow eggs, about the size of peppercorns. They
contain a gritty white goo and crush easily. I assumed they must be
some sort of common insect, but neither of my gardening gurus (my dad
and my dad-in-law) had seen them before, and i couldn't find any
obvious matches on the net. It's beginning to intrigue me....can anyone
ease my bafflement??

They sound like slow release fertiliser granules (Osmocote -
http://www.osmocote.com ). Did you buy the pots pre-planted from a nursery
or garden centre? If so they will have mixed them into the compost prior to
use.

HTH

Nick
http://www.ukgardening.co.uk

"andrewpreece" wrote
"undergroundbob"
Hi all, I've been re-potting my bulbs, as one does at this time of year,
and have found that the deeper soil in many of the pots is full of
little round bright yellow eggs, about the size of peppercorns. They
contain a gritty white goo and crush easily. I assumed they must be
some sort of common insect, but neither of my gardening gurus (my dad
and my dad-in-law) had seen them before, and i couldn't find any
obvious matches on the net. It's beginning to intrigue me....can anyone
ease my bafflement??
undergroundbob

Did the compost in which these yellow spheres are found come with the plan
i.e.from a nursery? If so it may be slow release fertiliser. Apparently
these arevery similar to snails eggs,but snails eggs are greyish.
Andy.

it always amazes me that the slow release pellets, which these most probably
are, are soooooooooo slow to release that they stay in the soil as pellets for
yonks ! How quickly should they release the fertilizer?
Jenny

In article , JennyC
writes
it always amazes me that the slow release pellets, which these most probably
are, are soooooooooo slow to release that they stay in the soil as pellets for
yonks ! How quickly should they release the fertilizer?

It may be that the fertiliser comes out in solution and all you have
left is the carrier.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Well, fertiziler granules crossed my mind too, but I filled the pots myself last year with plain B&Q compost, no granules included. Also, they seem to be mostly at the bottom of the pots, as though something had snuck in through the drainage hole. Besides, fertilizer granules just turn to powder if you crush them, whereas these things contain a gooey gritty substance. Help! These eggs are taking over my mind!

I know what you mean about 'slow release' though - went to give the roses a winter feed and found last years' granules still hanging about!

Bob

On 10/10/04 6:24 AM, in article
, "undergroundbob"
wrote:

Well, fertiziler granules crossed my mind too, but I filled the pots
myself last year with plain B&Q compost, no granules included. Also,
they seem to be mostly at the bottom of the pots, as though something
had snuck in through the drainage hole. Besides, fertilizer granules
just turn to powder if you crush them, whereas these things contain a
gooey gritty substance. Help! These eggs are taking over my mind!

I know what you mean about 'slow release' though - went to give the
roses a winter feed and found last years' granules still hanging
about!

Bob

Slugs have round eggs...they could be called yellow but I would call the
ones I have seen beige. I have never crushed one (in my fingers) so I am not
certain what would be inside. Gooey would seem to be an expected
description...
How big were these 'yellow eggs'? Slug eggs can be various sizes. The ones I
have seen all appear translucent. Are your eggs translucent?
Twiggy