The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

FairyPrincessk

Thanks PIC. Your situation sounds very stressful, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone but I'll certainly take the opportunity to learn from it!

paidinchickens

Ok so my allotmenting is going well, Not!!

Took my cabbages down and they got eaten to death by flea beetle, then took some more when they were a little bigger and the caterpillars are munching them even though I've netted them.

The four pumpkin plants that I've planted suddenly turned into three plants and one hole, something has pulled them underground, rabbits?? who knows.

The purple broccoli has been eaten by French Quail and the spuds got a touch of frost bite on the tips but they seem to have pulled back.

I have caught one slug in my beer trap though

PiC x

silvasava

PiC - Only way I've found to stop the dreaded slugs & snails is to use the 'orrible blue pellets. But I do put them under a piece of old crock balanced on some stones so the birds can't eat the pellets or anything that's been poisoned. I even found a big fat snail sitting on top of the water dripper for one of my tomato plants in the green house - what a cheek!!

Pooky

I've hardly seen any slugs this year - I found some fab copper tape in Wilk0s, self adhesive so I stuck it round the top of my raise bed - nothings ventured in so far.


My tomato plants seem to have double in height over night, the peas are trying to take over and the peppers are all leggy. I really need to do some more lettuce and spinach as we're coming to the end of those now...it's lovely to wander out and pick a few leaves as required.

juliettet

I buy the copper'organic' pellets and the little*** eat them and go underground to die. Working so far.

paidinchickens

As a complete novice I must look highly amusing to the allotment old timers when I'm sat next to my cabbages with a book .........looking at book .........looking at cabbages.......put book next to cabbages

From the pictures in all my books it looks like my cabbages are being eaten by everything listed :rotfl:

PiC x

silvasava

If you listen very carefully ..... you can hear them munching

FairyPrincessk

Silvasava...:rotfl:

PIC, I've found crushed egg shells around the base of a plant are a good snail/slug deterrent. It won't stop them from climbing up something else to get to the plant but they really don't like it. Its the only thing I've found to be as effective as the blue pellets.

I also found last year that a spray of soapy water (fairy liquid in water) helped with the cabbage worms , but it had to be done VERY regularly. It might help with the caterpillars but I have no idea.

[Deleted User]

Morning, what a beautiful day, He Who Knows has gone allotmenting, we've just bathed the lurcha and he's drying in the sun, I've made a big pasta salad for lunch and I'm sitting listening to CDs of the concerts my lovely DD1 has sung in over the past 7 years, beautiful music well sung by a very professional amatuer cathedral choral society. The only down side of the day so far has been leaving the mobile phone downstairs on charge and being hoiked out of the bath to answer it and not quite having the cap screwed on the bottle of homemade salad dressing I'd made and then shaking it!!!!! having cleaned up after liberally annointing the kitchen and hob I'm having a coffee, oh yes I AM!!!

I've just found a slow worm on the patio too, just a little one who was very scared of this big human being so I caught him gently and popped him into the foliage around the pond where he'll find lots of delicious slugs to eat, such a treat (for me too I hasten to add!)(the slow worm, not the slugs!!!) Lyn xxx.

paidinchickens

DD had a smear last week and the nurse has left her a message on her phone an hour ago asking to ring back but hasn't said why. She can't get through on the phone so she is on her way down to the DRs

I'm worried out of my mind but dont' want to keep ringing DD as it will worry her. So far I've kept saying I bet they lost the test.

Sorry for dumping and I know I'm the most irrational person on the planet but I wish my phone would ring with some good news

PiC