[Help] Gardeners Question Time.

[Zeberdi]

Most of us are in the same boat re pesticides, but there are occasions when there's no other sensible alternative.

I think it can be avoided if you are able and willing to put in the time and labour but it’s not easy!

I had widespread invasive ground elder, ragwort and ivy spreading from land next door when I bought my house that took a couple of seasons of constant weeding/pulling up to get rid of - The ragwort had taken over the lawn and ground elder covered the flower beds but hard work digging over over soil, removing all roots (cleaning soil) , digging ragwort out of the lawn and growing plants that prevented light so elder couldn’t grow did the job in the end.

Have never used pesticides in my garden and never will - I have birds, hedgehogs, toads, bats and frogs all who rely on my garden for food - I plant everything for bees and other insects and they would be harmed/killed by pesticides or impact other wildlife by secondary poisoning from eating them.

Bees especially can be harmed by weedkiller pesticides - I work in an environment where I’m reminded daily of our now critical population crashes in bees and decline in other insects - we need to find alternative means to manage pests/weeds if possible even when it’s more labour intensive than walking around spraying stuff.

Glyphosate weedkiller damages wild bee colonies, study reveals

Most widely used pesticide in history harms critical ability of bumblebee to regulate nest temperature

www.theguardian.com

(The only time I would consider it justified is for Japanese Knotweed but then thats a job for the Council)

 

[Weststander]

I think it can be avoided if you are able and willing to put in the time and labour but it’s not easy!

I had widespread invasive ground elder, ragwort and ivy spreading from land next door when I bought my house that took a couple of seasons of constant weeding/pulling up to get rid of - The ragwort had taken over the lawn and ground elder covered the flower beds but hard work digging over over soil, removing all roots (cleaning soil) , digging ragwort out of the lawn and growing plants that prevented light so elder couldn’t grow did the job in the end.

Have never used pesticides in my garden and never will - I have birds, hedgehogs, toads, bats and frogs all who rely on my garden for food - I plant everything for bees and other insects and they would be harmed/killed by pesticides or impact other wildlife by secondary poisoning from eating them.

Bees especially can be harmed by weedkiller pesticides - I work in an environment where I’m reminded daily of our now critical population crashes in bees and decline in other insects - we need to find alternative means to manage pests/weeds if possible even when it’s more labour intensive than walking around spraying stuff.

Glyphosate weedkiller damages wild bee colonies, study reveals

Most widely used pesticide in history harms critical ability of bumblebee to regulate nest temperature

www.theguardian.com

(The only time I would consider it justified is for Japanese Knotweed but then thats a job for the Council)

I’m currently removing from a long border Bindweed, Brambles, Wood Spurge, Japanese Anemone, Lilac suckers and Couch Grass. By meticulously removing the lot including fine rhizomes or roots. Digging deep where necessary to get every last bit of the roots out. Letting it settle down then doing it all over again when they reappear. It means getting down to work at ground level.

Likewise, I won’t use chemicals.

There are Miner Bees, Centipedes, all sorts of beetles, then birds feeding on insects. Would be sad to damage that ecosytem.

 

[tedebear]

I’m currently removing from a long border Bindweed, Brambles, Wood Spurge, Japanese Anemone, Lilac suckers and Couch Grass. By meticulously removing the lot including fine rhizomes or roots. Digging deep where necessary to get every last bit of the roots out. Letting it settle down then doing it all over again when they reappear. It means getting down to work at ground level.

Likewise, I won’t use chemicals.

There are Miner Bees, Centipedes, all sorts of beetles, then birds feeding on insects. Would be sad to damage that ecosytem.

Well done, completely agree. My new (to me) allotment is covered in bind weed, nettles and couch grass. It took me about three seasons to rid my previous plot from most of the bind weed, so whilst my new plot is double the size, I’ve made a dent in it already and just started my second season. Continuallay digging and picking bits out. I don’t want to lose the biodiversity in the soil, and I also want to eat what I grow in it....and it’s better than a gym membership…

 

[Weststander]

Well done, completely agree. My new (to me) allotment is covered in bind weed, nettles and couch grass. It took me about three seasons to rid my previous plot from most of the bind weed, so whilst my new plot is double the size, I’ve made a dent in it already and just started my second season. Continuallay digging and picking bits out. I don’t want to lose the biodiversity in the soil, and I also want to eat what I grow in it....and it’s better than a gym membership…

I don’t do the opaque polythene and wait routine, too impatient. You become a detective who can easily spot even the tiniest piece of Bindweed root. Monty Don often mentions their 30 year battle against it, with his team they once did the same thing.

 

[darkwolf666]

After a bit of advice. I want something to fill the gaps in this VERY small shaded border. Never really gets anything above dappled sun, hence the ferns and grass..

Please note - yes that is a fake flower trellis and no, that's not a very small sheep...!*

*And, no, I haven't buried one of my neighbours!

 

[Coldeanseagull]

After a bit of advice. I want something to fill the gaps in this VERY small shaded border. Never really gets anything above dappled sun, hence the ferns and grass..

View attachment 203306
Please note - yes that is a fake flower trellis and no, that's not a very small sheep...!*

*And, no, I haven't buried one of my neighbours!

Aspidistra, hosta, pulmonaria, heuchera, fatsia, pansy/violas off the top of my head. Have a look here for more ideas

Long Acre Plants

Wide range of unusual plants for shade and woodland, Long Acre Plants, Ferns, Viola odorata, Heuchera, lilies, geranium, epimedium, shade loving plant, hellebores, snowdrops

www.plantsforshade.co.uk

 

[darkwolf666]

Aspidistra, hosta, pulmonaria, heuchera, fatsia, pansy/violas off the top of my head. Have a look here for more ideas

Long Acre Plants

Wide range of unusual plants for shade and woodland, Long Acre Plants, Ferns, Viola odorata, Heuchera, lilies, geranium, epimedium, shade loving plant, hellebores, snowdrops

www.plantsforshade.co.uk

Thanks for the reply. I love hosta’s - I am a sucker for what I see as architectural plants, my favourite being the Gunnera. However, the slugs in my garden appear to like a Hosta even more that I do and they end up looking like lace doilies!

Pansy/viola would add a splash of colour, but as an annual would be too short lived. As a garden in a new build house I am hoping to plant something to give a mature, established feel, quite quickly!

I will check out the link and other options, but fatsia maybe too big.

Again, thanks…

 

[Zeberdi]

After a bit of advice. I want something to fill the gaps in this VERY small shaded border. Never really gets anything above dappled sun, hence the ferns and grass..

View attachment 203306
Please note - yes that is a fake flower trellis and no, that's not a very small sheep...!*

*And, no, I haven't buried one of my neighbours!

Hostas would suit your space and are very shade tolerant.

Sue Proctor plants - Growing hostas

Lots of information on how to grow hostas from Sue Proctor Plants

sueproctorplants.com

If you want the foliage to stay green longer, the flower stems can be cut off. Like ferns they die back in winter so you can control how large they grow (or you can just keep them in patio pots which can also look good placed on plant borders - all my Hostas are in pots)

If you want something a bit more flowery, Aqualigias, Foxgloves and Campanulas all do well in shade.

 

[darkwolf666]

Hostas would suit your space and are very shade tolerant.

Sue Proctor plants - Growing hostas

Lots of information on how to grow hostas from Sue Proctor Plants

sueproctorplants.com

If you want the foliage to stay green longer, the flower stems can be cut off. Like ferns they die back in winter so you can control how large they grow (or you can just keep them in patio pots which can also look good placed on plant borders - all my Hostas are in pots)

If you want something a bit more flowery, Aqualigias, Foxgloves and Campanulas all do well in shade.

As per my previous reply, I love Hostas, but so does my local slug/snail population. How do you keep the blighters away?

 

[Zeberdi]

As per my previous reply, I love Hostas, but so does my local slug/snail population. How do you keep the blighters away?

Put grit around the base of the plant if they are bedded in the ground (or do what I do with my Lupins and cut rings of ‘crowns’ out of discarded plastic pots and stick copper tape (available on Amazon) around the rim and place around plant stems - the ‘spikes on the crowns will help them stick in ground) (I’ll post an image/instructions when I get round to it - in the hospital all day today)

With my own Hostas which are on raised beds in pots, I just check under the pots for snails and slugs, pick them off and ‘relocate‘ them into the no-man’s land next door but so far, no problems

2 tips;

• Always try and water garden early in morning rather than in the evening - wet soil at night brings out slugs!
• Go out with a torch at night and physically remove slugs from plants (I have disposable gloves because I am allergic to the slime)

 

[Jack Straw]

Epimedium
Bergenia
Brunnera "Jack Frost"
Euphorbia amygdaloides robbiae
Liriope muscari

Look no further!

 

[Taybha]

If you put out the dirty greasy oven racks overnight on the grass about 80% of the cack disappears and the rest just washes off easy,I plan on actually staying up all night to see how this actually happens but as yet not managed to stay up past 10pm ,thank me later.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Thanks for the reply. I love hosta’s - I am a sucker for what I see as architectural plants, my favourite being the Gunnera. However, the slugs in my garden appear to like a Hosta even more that I do and they end up looking like lace doilies!

Pansy/viola would add a splash of colour, but as an annual would be too short lived. As a garden in a new build house I am hoping to plant something to give a mature, established feel, quite quickly!

I will check out the link and other options, but fatsia maybe too big.

Again, thanks…

Pansies are actually perennials that are grown as an annual. If grown in the shade, they will last a few years...they don't appreciate full sun. Fatsias and their cultivars would prefer to have that whole area to themselves so maybe just look at pictures of those but there are a few hostas that are more resilient to slug attack especially the sieboldiana hybrid types. Planted with a mulch of sand can deter all but the ones that parachute in.
Planting things you like still in their pots will restrict roots, also you can move things around easier