Hi

Just wondering if anyone could help me.
I seem to have some kind of pests eating my plants. A few weeks ago I
planted 3 small bedding plants which were soon one by one completely eaten
stalks and all!
Last weekend I planted 6 tomato plants (different part of the garden) and
again one by one they have been completely eaten. I have seen no sign of any
slugs in the garden so dont think its them.
Anyone have any ideas who I have to thank for eating my plants!, could it be
ants?

Many thanks in advance,

Cheryl

"Cheryl" wrote in message
. uk...
Hi

Just wondering if anyone could help me.
I seem to have some kind of pests eating my plants. A few weeks ago I
planted 3 small bedding plants which were soon one by one completely eaten
stalks and all!
Last weekend I planted 6 tomato plants (different part of the garden) and
again one by one they have been completely eaten. I have seen no sign of
any slugs in the garden so dont think its them.
Anyone have any ideas who I have to thank for eating my plants!, could it
be ants?

Many thanks in advance,

Cheryl




Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they're not there!

quote " have seen no sign of any
slugs in the garden so dont think its them.
Anyone have any ideas who I have to thank for eating my plants!, could
it be
ants? "

likely to be slugs, they are usually only active during the hours of
darkness, so you may well not have seen them, put a few slug pellets
down and see if you find dead ones in the morning..

Mike

wrote in message
oups.com...
quote " have seen no sign of any
slugs in the garden so dont think its them.
Anyone have any ideas who I have to thank for eating my plants!, could
it be
ants? "

likely to be slugs, they are usually only active during the hours of
darkness, so you may well not have seen them, put a few slug pellets
down and see if you find dead ones in the morning..

Mike



Just been down the garden with my torch and yes, found a little
friend/enemy! Thanks for that ill get some pellets in the morning. Im not an
experienced outside garden ( usually just house plants) so your advice is
very grateful!

Thanks again

Get some empty plastic bottles, such as Lemonade bottles. Cut the bottoms
off and put them over your plants and push them into the ground. Mini
Greenhouses AND they keep the slugs and snails off :-))

Mike
Not 'gardener' but learning fast ;-))

On 25/4/05 20:58, in article
, "Cheryl"
wrote:

Hi

Just wondering if anyone could help me.
I seem to have some kind of pests eating my plants. A few weeks ago I
planted 3 small bedding plants which were soon one by one completely eaten
stalks and all!
Last weekend I planted 6 tomato plants (different part of the garden) and
again one by one they have been completely eaten. I have seen no sign of any
slugs in the garden so dont think its them.
Anyone have any ideas who I have to thank for eating my plants!, could it be
ants?

It's early still to be putting out either bedding plants or tomato plants,
so if the slugs hadn't got 'em there's still a good chance frost will, or
that hammering rain will devastate them! We're advising customers to wait
until mid-May before planting out, so those buying such plants now are
keeping them in frost free greenhouses or on a spare room window sill etc.
When you do plant out - assuming you're going to start again - either
scatter small, sharp gravel round your plants so that slugs can't find a way
through, making sure the circle is well away from any leaves touching the
ground and acting as a stairway! Or try something like Sluggit which you
water on to kill the slugs. Remove the corpses in the morning.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

In article , Cheryl
writes
Hi

Just wondering if anyone could help me.
I seem to have some kind of pests eating my plants. A few weeks ago I
planted 3 small bedding plants which were soon one by one completely eaten
stalks and all!
Last weekend I planted 6 tomato plants (different part of the garden) and
again one by one they have been completely eaten. I have seen no sign of any
slugs in the garden so dont think its them.

They do their damage overnight. You won't see them in the daytime.

Anyone have any ideas who I have to thank for eating my plants!, could it be
ants?

No.




--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Kay wrote:
In article , Cheryl
writes

Hi

Just wondering if anyone could help me.
I seem to have some kind of pests eating my plants. A few weeks ago I
planted 3 small bedding plants which were soon one by one completely eaten
stalks and all!
Last weekend I planted 6 tomato plants (different part of the garden) and
again one by one they have been completely eaten. I have seen no sign of any
slugs in the garden so dont think its them.


They do their damage overnight. You won't see them in the daytime.


Anyone have any ideas who I have to thank for eating my plants!, could it be
ants?


No.




My biggest plant eaters, in every sense of the word are mice, they
enjoyed nearly all my caulies last year. I resorted to trapping them,
and average four a day for several weeks.

I've been trying the organic slug remedies so far this spring - coffee grounds and a circle of the chopped-up trimmings from my very VERY spiky rosa rugosa hedge, or the 'crown of thorns' technique as I've taken to calling it. So far my little tenders are un-munched, but I've got my beady eye out...