Seedlings disappearing overnight ! ...

jtb2412

Hi everyone,

We're very new to gardening and so far have managed to get a wonderful greenhouse (from freecycle) and some nice little seedlings on the go !

However, I have planted some seeds straight in the ground (lettuce) in raised beds, and have covered with netting to stop the birds getting at them. They came up wonderfully ! But, about 4 days ago they started to disappear and now they've all gone . I don't think its snails or slugs (don't really have a problem and I've put slug pellets down and none of the other seedlings have been eaten). If anyone has any ideas i'd be very grateful !

I think we're just going to have to start everything off in the greenhouse (which is my preferred way tbh as we have very heavy clay soil and it's been hard for even my runner beans to break through ! :eek: )

Am off to my first plant sale this morning and i'm really excited ! My teenage daughter says i'm turning into her grandma at the age of 33 ! :shocked: Any tips (apart from getting there early to get the best plants) would be greatly appreciated !)

Am loving the 'show us your veggie plot' thread too, so thanks for all those posting on there (I might be tempted to put a pic of ours up when i've actually got something in there ! )

TIA xx

Lotus-eater

I can't think what it could be apart from slugs. Get outside after it gets dark with a torch and have a look.
If they went when it was wet, then it was definitely S&S's, not sure why they ignored the pellets, maybe you didn't put them down right, or they were too old?

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

Unless im losing the plot... there is a kind of slug that actually live underground.... snaffling stuff without being seen..so i guess slug pellets wouldn't interest them..

ok i have found it..the keel slug

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/biosi/staffinfo/wocs2.html

hope it helps ...at least you might know what you are up against

jtb2412

MrsMcawber, thanks so much for that. It would seem that in all probability you are right ! (much to my dismay ! lol) I thought it odd that we had no 'trails'. Strangely though my radishes haven't been touched (well, from what I can see, what is happening underground is another matter !)

The particular bed that they are in is only a small one (5ft by about 3ft) so I might pull them up and rotovate (which is the advice on the website link you gave). In the meantime, back to planting more seedlings !

Would I be ok planting lettuce in the greenhouse in a long planter?

TIA xx

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

Im growing everything in tubs n troughs, so your lettuces will be fine to start off in the green house (i started some of mine on a sunny window sill).. you will just need to keep an eye on them once they are through to make sure they don't get too warm and bolt...as they will end up all leggy.. but the joy of using pots is you can move them about easily...

Hope you get the little blighters.. i had something attacking my raddishes..but only the leaves... they left the root bit alone eventually tracked down a caterpillar... who then got put on the bird table

Hope everything comes through well for you...its so exciting waiting to see if thigs appear isn't it ...i really should get out more

bella165

thats the same as what happened to my lettace all got eaten

jtb2412

Thanks for all the advice. :beer: We're just off out to the garden centre to pick up a few bits and bobs (a trough for my lettuce mainly !)

Went to the plant sale and OH MY GOD ! It was worse than a jumble sale ! :eek: hahaha. It was only a small one so was a bit of a case of 'grabbit quick' ! Managed to get 2 courgettes (none of my seedlings have appeared - dodgy batch I reckon !), 2 peppers, some lavender (to attract the bees) and some outdoor cucumbers (which i'm now scared to put out in case of the slugs !) All for the grand sum of about £4 so I think we did quite well :0). There's a local school fayre this afternoon so we'll probably pop along there and see what we can pick up too (going to need an allotment soon !)

MrsMcawber - I'm afraid I'm the same as you ...... get excited at something new poking it's head up above the soil ! I go out every morning with my coffee and check what's happening (that's my excuse for 'getting out more' ! )

Have a good gardening day everyone (no rain here ..... yet !)

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

We are in army accomodation so i now have a POTio aPOTment

Can i just give you a word of warning about your cucumbers... when you plant them out make sure that you don't sink the stem under the compost or over water them ... i have lost several... about 1" from the bottom of the stem they went pale and looked like they had all the moisture sucked out of them....and when i read up..thats what it was :mad: (they call it damping off disease.. and the other thing it can be is unclean pots/compost but mine was all new so i knew it wasn't that) luckily i got carried away and had 14 to start with :rotfl: says she who has ended up with 38 tomato plants got carried away with the seeds there too

whatatwit

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Hi there

Unless im losing the plot... there is a kind of slug that actually live underground.... snaffling stuff without being seen..so i guess slug pellets wouldn't interest them..

ok i have found it..the keel slug

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/biosi/staffinfo/wocs2.html

hope it helps ...at least you might know what you are up against

Mrsmcawber....I read this as the snaffling slug :rotfl: Must get my eyes tested!

2pworth

hi there
I'm also trying to grow veg in amongst my plants. I've got two questions to ask I planted out Chinese cabbage last Sat which cost me £2.99 fpr 6 within 3days they'd got flowers and looked like lace, what did I do wrong? and every cat in the neighbourhood now thinks my garden is there toilet how do you keep them out?
hope someone out there can help
2pworth

kazwookie

Water pistol for the cats!!