Gardening

[Nicola]

Hi Rae

Yes I have tried slug pubs. I think it just attracts them. Also my slugs seem to drown and not wander off to poison birds.

I thought that it was the slug pellets that poison birds. As I garden organically I do not use slug pellets.

I have even seen slugs climb up my broom plant to make the branches droop over on to my Hostas. And they say they have small brains. :?

Usually I plant twice as much in hope that the slugs will leave me some for being kind.

[veronica]

apparently over time it damages the birds livers, in effect they get alcohol poison.

[Moorf]

It's a bit laborious but have you tried broken egg shells around the base of plants?

Plus, I read once that copper wire deterred them.

We're avid gardeners and I so miss the garden. We have one here and I've promised the landlords I'll transform it - it was only then that I realised I know nothing about the sorts of plants they have here and pruning seasons etc!! I think a long conversation with the local garden centre manager is required!

Just out of interest - we have 5 gorgeous camelias in this garden - I haven't dealt with them before (they never did too well in Scotland) and they have soooo many blooms on them that they appear in danger of toppling over/breaking in two! I assume it is okay to deadhead them and would it hurt to cut them back a bit or should I wait?!

Cheers
Moorf

[nisse]

Just out of interest - we have 5 gorgeous camelias in this garden - I haven't dealt with them before (they never did too well in Scotland) and they have soooo many blooms on them that they appear in danger of toppling over/breaking in two! I assume it is okay to deadhead them and would it hurt to cut them back a bit or should I wait?!

Cheers
Moorf[/quote]

Hi Moorf,

it is not a very good idea cutting back camelias as it often has the effect that they don't bring any flowers the next year. They're very finicky plants, better left alone as much as possible. Deadheading should be okay. I have two on my balcony and they flower every year, have to be treated like babies, though.

Cheers

NIsse

[Moorf]

Whew - glad I asked - woulda been brutal if I'd left them with no blooms next year - thanks for that Nisse

[Nicola]

Veronica - Thanks for the info re slug pubs and bird's livers. I will just drink the bear myself from now on and not pour it in the garden.

I have also tried egg shells, copper tape, grit, and sand to no avail. I will just have to stick to the plant twice as much trick.

The camellias sound lovely, another good reason to add to my list of reasons to move to NZ.

Moorf you should keep us informed of your gardening adventures, what plants do well, what pest there are and what plants do not do well.

Ali - Those seeds you have, if you can not bring them with you. What about emptying them into fancy envelopes and giving them to people as christmas pressies. Sorry, yes I know I am a total cheap skate, trying to save all our money for a trip to NZ.

[Moorf]

With all that we have to sort I am still excited at the prospect of our first trip to the garden centre - although I feel I may blow the budget!

The camelia's ARE lovely, and so prolific, and around Chch the gardens are all in bloom - amazing cherries and gorgeous magnolias abound - and seeing huge succulents and cacti growing wild is amazing!

Haven't seen any gardening progs on telly though... perhaps someone out there (who doesn't have Sky) could let me know if I'm missing any...

[Stu]

I had to comment... please, PLEASE, do not leave beer around in the garden in NZ. I mean, hello? This is New Zealand, yeah? How long will it be before a few of the boys will be around draining your beer traps every night as soon as you re-top them? Slugs and snails and all too I'd bet.

No, never leave a beer in the open in NZ........

Slugs? Yes we have them, of course, not too bad though. There are plenty of organic types (not me though, slug-slam them to the max, that is my motto) around who can help with these sortsa problems.

Just at the moment, my tulips are looking great down at the farm, and the wildflowers I have sown are knee-high, and should be ready to flower before too long I hope. Daffs, Irises and bluebells all look great, and have a heap of pansies, gazanias and polyanthus planted for colour until the wildflowers come out... largely poppies (Soldier and californian), cornflowers, toadflax and clarkias.

Perhaps check out www.wildflowerworld.co.nz (or is it .com?) , they are the folks I get my bulk seeds through.

Asparagus is coming along now, harvesting every other day, only got about 80kg today, but that should soon be up to around 300kg.

Grass is starting to grow, dairy prodn is steady, Fonterra (Dairy co-op company) announced an increase of their pre-season estimate of around 20c per kg, should make it up to around 4.50/kg I think. Our smallish 135 acre farm is doing around 60,000kg a season, so that is nice. Calving is finished, mating will be starting in a week or so. Silage is ready to be made in a week or two, so the ground can be prepped for maize silage to be planted at end of hte month.

Anything else you'd like to know? :-)

cheers,
Stu.

[Nicola]

Thanks for the link Stu. You guessed what my next question was going to be.

Next question is do you have any pics of your wildflowers. It is just coming into Autumn here, winter is on its way. Most of the flowers have finished flowering, the nastersiums etc are just hanging on but will go with the first frost, which will be soon. The leaves on the trees are changing colour. There are loads and loads of berries on the trees this year, very pretty but very worrying. If the old wifes tale is correct we are in for a very bad winter. :? I am not looking forward to dark nights and dark mornings, only seeing the daylight at the weekend. So we could do with some pictures of spring flowers from NZ.

Will not use slug pubs in NZ then, it is a waste of good beer anyway.

[AliJax]

Thanks for all you input Gardners. My solution for slugs is brutal - Squash em' :eek

They never come back.

To save your hostas if getting really chewed on is to put them in containers, and put the copper around the planter, looks great when polished.