Mundane News

[Andy in Germany]

How's the latest attempt going?

Hmm... What attempt?

 

[Andy in Germany]

After a strike ours look to be back to normal a week next Tuesday , unless it's Transpennine they gave up trying to run a service months ago.

Understood, but there wasn't even a strike here in the first place. The mind boggles at what would happen if the unions went through on the threat...

 

[pawl]

What you think is eating them? sounds like slugs if almost all is gone. You could give organic plant protectors sprays a go. Unlike pesticides they also benefit the plants. https://www.grazers.co.uk/
I've used the Lily beetle one on a customers garden and it work a treat.
Sharpe sand or gravel round them acting as a barrier helps keep them at bay too.

Thanks for your reply
Not slugs Istart them off in pots and put them out of reach on a table under a propagater This is the second attempt Can only think that it may be some bug in the potting compost

 

[classic33]

Hmm... What attempt?

It beat you?

 

[tom73]

Thanks for your reply
Not slugs Istart them off in pots and put them out of reach on a table under a propagater This is the second attempt Can only think that it may be some bug in the potting compost

mmmm hard to tell without looking closely most soil based grubs go for roots not leaves. Maybe keel-hall slugs they are tiny and buggers for hiding and hitching a ride on bottom of pots and just under the soil surface.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Thanks for your reply
Not slugs Istart them off in pots and put them out of reach on a table under a propagater This is the second attempt Can only think that it may be some bug in the potting compost

When we moved in here many years ago one of the first things I noticed was how few slugs and snails there were, the old garden was over run with them, then one day I moved something and a big fat toad scurried for cover, puzzle solved, I haven't seen the toad for many years but we still haven't got many slugs and snails in the garden. Don't forget both slugs and snails can climb, and a slug can get through a surprisingly small gap.

 

[Reynard]

Fabby supper of salmon baked under a lemon & parsley crumb crust, new potatoes with lemon butter and roasted Mediterranean veggies aka sweet pepper, courgette, red onion and baby plum tomatoes. Umm, and a good few garlic cloves.

 

[Reynard]

Wish these good bugs of which you speak would come in my direction and stop the little devils that eat the shoots of my beetroots as soon as they emerge.🐞🐛🦟🕷🪳🐜

How many ladybirds do you need?

Are you sure your seedlings are not damping off? Otherwise woodpigeons are an arse for eating seedlings.

 

[classic33]

Right, own up!
There's a post gone AWOL, nobody move...

 

[Reynard]

We use to pot on ones like the at the nursery planted nice and deep in 2L pots. Saved them going to waste plus the price went up.
It also allowed customers to buy big finished plants ready for the patio. You use to be able to knock them out the pot after a week and see the growth rate. When I grow from seed I always pot on up to last set of true leaves. Give's you much better plants and root system.
when I grow any it's Alicante for me i've a soft spot for them. My dad use to grow them so learned all about tomatoes on them.

I've not had much luck growing tomatoes from seed. Between the slugs, mice and a parental unit who will water any plant in a pot without checking whether it actually needs it or not, I've given up. It's just far less faff to buy established plants. Only the two of us here, so it lets me buy a nice selection while keeping the numbers to a sensible level. The plants on the market were 3 for £2 so I picked up half a dozen there, plus I bought two others at £1.25 each elsewhere.

Have got two Alicante, a Shirley, a Moneymaker, two Tumbling Toms and two Beefsteak. Those should cover most if not all of my tomatoey needs.

And yes, the deeper you plant them, the happier they are. It won't be long before they're ready to go into the big planters. My drive is both sheltered and a suntrap, so they should do well there if last year is anything to go by. My Beefsteak tomatoes got up to half a kilo in weight each!

 

[classic33]

When we moved in here many years ago one of the first things I noticed was how few slugs and snails there were, the old garden was over run with them, then one day I moved something and a big fat toad scurried for cover, puzzle solved, I haven't seen the toad for many years but we still haven't got many slugs and snails in the garden. Don't forget both slugs and snails can climb, and a slug can get through a surprisingly small gap.

You're not expecting to see the toad again are you?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

You're not expecting to see the toad again are you?

No

 

[classic33]

No

It'll be shoving on a bit by now.

 

[biggs682]

The wobbly bit of tooth I reported on Saturday has just become detached

 

[Gravity Aided]

Tater tot hot dish for supper here.