The Garden Doctor is IN !

[qbman1]

Forget about the ultrasonic thingis all that happens with them is that the moles think that it is disco time and they invite all their mate round

The only way, unfortunately, is with traps

I havent' tried it as we don't have a real mole problem but, the child's windmill thingy is reputed to work. Apparently, the vibrations when the sails are spinning pass into the ground and fool to moles into thinking that there are predators about. Not sure they are much good when the wind isn't blowing though !

[HK phooey]

Thanks Garden Doctor, I'll have a go with the windmills and report back.

[qbman1]

On calm days you will need to get out there and give them a good blow to ensure best results

[Andrea S]

Dr QB
Last year our sweet corn was devoured by some animal. We have partridges, squirrels, racing pigeons and the usual vermin around so don't know who or whom are guilty.
Any suggestions how to protect them.,

[qbman1]

Dr QB
Last year our sweet corn was devoured by some animal. We have partridges, squirrels, racing pigeons and the usual vermin around so don't know who or whom are guilty.
Any suggestions how to protect them.,

I had the same problem, to a degree. It is almost certainly mice. They were particularly rife last year after a relatively mild winter in 2011/12 which allowed the population to flourish. Hopefully, this year's colder winter will have kept numbers to a more manageable level. Short of poisoning or trapping them, there is not a lot you can do as they will get through most physical barriers. I tend to grow a few extra to allow enough for us and the mice !

[Romig1]

A question for the gardening doctor.

I have a "friend" who has trouble finding his wife's clematis. Any ideas where one would be planted?

[Jacknian]

Like the beer idea Andrea, at least they'll die happy ! Qbman, do those nematodes work on snails as well as slugs ? We don't really have a problem with slugs , it's the snails that drive me mad. Went on to amazon and it doesn't seem to say anywhere if it works for snails. Last year picked them all up and had a bucket full but there still seemed to be more every night . And then I didn't know what to do with them all. Did think about chucking them over my neighbours fence ! but then someone told me they would just come back to my garden, so in the end took them down to the football field and emptied them there.

[qbman1]

A question for the gardening doctor.

I have a "friend" who has trouble finding his wife's clematis. Any ideas where one would be planted?

Would that be the variety "Christine Keeler" ? Good in a bed or up against a wall !

[qbman1]

Like the beer idea Andrea, at least they'll die happy ! Qbman, do those nematodes work on snails as well as slugs ? We don't really have a problem with slugs , it's the snails that drive me mad. Went on to amazon and it doesn't seem to say anywhere if it works for snails. Last year picked them all up and had a bucket full but there still seemed to be more every night . And then I didn't know what to do with them all. Did think about chucking them over my neighbours fence ! but then someone told me they would just come back to my garden, so in the end took them down to the football field and emptied them there.

Slugs and snails are physiologically very similar so the same control would work for both. At home, snails are the biggest problem and a treatment of our hostas last month seems to have worked wonders.

You are quite right about snails coming back. Some years ago, some bright spark conducted an experiment by painting snail shells with Tippex and taking them to a neighbour's garden a few doors away. Within 24 hours, most of them had returned to his garden. Not sure your local football club would have been too happy about the mysterious appearance of a bucketfull of snails

[Boris+]

I'm having a thoroughy bad day ....... we are on the verge of seriously thinking of getting another house, and therefore the normally tidy garden now needs to look really good.

Blasted nasty scum of the earth Thugs Bunny has returned!!!!! We tried to do the nice thing and prevent it from digging in a nice newly planted border by discreetly strengthing the fencing, but the blasted devious thing has found a new point of entry (which I can't find), and he's had his bunnykins JCB out AGAIN!!!

Any ideas? Isn't Bunny Pie on the menu onboard soon?????

Help!

Em

[HK phooey]

Leave it alone. A little bunny can't do much harm.

[Kendhni]

Failing that, you go out on a damp night with a torch and collect them [snails] all up. What you do with them then is up to you......!

On calm days you will need to get out there and give them a good blow to ensure best results

I had missed the posts in between and a was about to question what was going on.

[HK phooey]

I'm not sure he's ready for his own thread Ken.

[qbman1]

I'm having a thoroughy bad day ....... we are on the verge of seriously thinking of getting another house, and therefore the normally tidy garden now needs to look really good.

Blasted nasty scum of the earth Thugs Bunny has returned!!!!! We tried to do the nice thing and prevent it from digging in a nice newly planted border by discreetly strengthing the fencing, but the blasted devious thing has found a new point of entry (which I can't find), and he's had his bunnykins JCB out AGAIN!!!

Any ideas? Isn't Bunny Pie on the menu onboard soon?????

Help!

Em

We've got the same problem at our allotments Em. 10 days ago I planted out a nice double row of chrysanthemums that I had lovingly nurtured in the greenhouse over winter and within 2 days the rabbits had stripped them to the ground. Chrysanthemums - I ask you ! The little sods didn't touch the peas, beans or even the tasty, lush grass all around but went straight for me chrysanths ! Now they are eating the tops off all the onions and garlic. I think they've somehow got access to a Jamie Oliver cook book !

As you say, they will find away through most fencing so all we can do is cover up all the vulnerable plants with a Fort Knox type arrangement of wire but I appreciate that is not an option if you are trying to make the garden look its best.

It is quite likely to be young rabbits at this time of year and they can squeeze through the smallest of gaps so hopefully, once they grow up, the problem will decrease. Only trouble is - they breed like rabbits ! You really need a man with a ferret or a falcon.

Sorry, not much help, I know.

[Manoverboard]

I have a problem with molehills popping up in the garden. Short of standing out all night with a mallet what can I do to stop the little blighters?

I told you that on the P&O Forum ... get a 20 bore shotgun.

Simples

[Silver_Shiney]

If you are growing them in Gro-Bags or proprietary compost, they shouldn't need feeding for a few weeks. As soon as the first fruit trusses appear, start feeding with a high-potash liquid feed (I have not found anything better than Tomorite). A weekly feed will be perfect and keep it up right through the summer to keep yields high. Make sure you keep them watered but take care not to over-water or you will get "blossom end rot" on the fruit. It is a good idea to remove the lower leaves as the fruit sets to allow light and air to reach the ripening fruit.

As an aside, I use tomato fertiliser for all flowering plants and the potassium aids flower production

I thought blossom end rot was a result of underwatering? We are talking about where the flower end of the fruit goes black?

[Silver_Shiney]

I told you that on the P&O Forum ... get a 20 bore shotgun.

Will that get shot of them?

[trixie]

Dear Garden Doctor AKA QB

I have a problem with a climbing rose bush given to me by my Aunt last year. My Aunt had grown the rose from cuttings taken from my Nana's house - so its quite special to me ! Anyway I planted it last year and it grew quite well but there were no roses ?? this year the plant looks really healthy and has got bigger, with loads of leaves but still no roses and no signs of buds either ? Is it possible to have a plant that will never produce flowers or am I doing something wrong
Great thread by the way

[Manoverboard]

A weekly feed will be perfect and keep it up right through the summer to keep yields high ...

That is what I ' used to do ' but one year I calculated the volume of feed, divided it by seven and fed them ever day. The yeild was high, the size was more uniform and the taste was better ... or so I believe.

[Boris+]

Personally I don't like large shotguns, I'm ok with a S&W, grenades or at a push an AK47. Will that do?

Bleedy bunny!

What about (in desperation) threatening it with a cruise on a not very nice ship?

Em

[qbman1]

I thought blossom end rot was a result of underwatering? We are talking about where the flower end of the fruit goes black?

SS - I believe it is the result of a calcium deficiency and can have a number of causes but if the plants are grown in compost specifically designed for tomatoes there should be no major problems

[Silver_Shiney]

I thought blossom end rot was a result of underwatering? We are talking about where the flower end of the fruit goes black?

SS - I believe it is the result of a calcium deficiency and can have a number of causes but if the plants are grown in compost specifically designed for tomatoes there should be no major problems

Thanks, I'll inform SWMBO....

[qbman1]

Dear Garden Doctor AKA QB

I have a problem with a climbing rose bush given to me by my Aunt last year. My Aunt had grown the rose from cuttings taken from my Nana's house - so its quite special to me ! Anyway I planted it last year and it grew quite well but there were no roses ?? this year the plant looks really healthy and has got bigger, with loads of leaves but still no roses and no signs of buds either ? Is it possible to have a plant that will never produce flowers or am I doing something wrong
Great thread by the way

Trix - roses aren't my strong point but I did hear that a lot of people had probelms with non-flowering shoots last year. The true cause is not really known but it is thought that the wet spring weather may have encouraged unusually strong growth at the expense of flowers. So long as the cutting material was taken from the grafted shoots of your Nana's roses and not from suckers, they will be exact vegetative copies of the original and there is no reason why they should not flower. Hope they do the business this year

[Dark Knight]

QB
what sort of soil is the best to bury a dead body in? what will cause the quickest decomposition of the corpse and lastly what type of worms etc eat flesh quickest

ta ever so

[qbman1]

You ideally want a strongly alkaline soil so if you can grow rhododendrons and azaleas, you will have an acidic soil and your body will not decompose as quickly. Add plenty of lime - that will do it. It's not so much worms that devour rotting flesh, but bacteria. Maggots will only eat already dead flesh. If you can introduce some botfly larvae, that might speed up the process

Happy to help, as always