Posted by phorbin on April 23, 2010, 7:36 am
@gardenbanter.co.uk says...
> > I thought groundhogs were North American.
>
> I am guessing pigeons! The pigeons ate all the groundhogs in the UK a
> long time ago
Well then,
...I wish we had at least two of your pigeons.
...preferably not a breeding pair.
Posted by NorfolkGardener on May 2, 2010, 5:18 am
phorbin;884614 Wrote:
> In article ZeroZero.646afe6@gardenbanter.co.uk,
ZeroZero.646afe6
> @gardenbanter.co.uk says...
> --
> I thought groundhogs were North American.-
>
> I am guessing pigeons! The pigeons ate all the groundhogs in the UK a
> long time ago-
>
> Well then,
>
> ....I wish we had at least two of your pigeons.
>
> ....preferably not a breeding pair.
If the plants were relatively young, slugs could be the problem, in
which case I
would recommend 'Nemaslug Slug Killer'
(http://www.nemaslug.org.uk/ ), which
saved my brassicas last year.
However if the plants were established, it sounds like too much damage
to be
slugs. Rabbits are hugely destructive and likely to be the issue
here, pigeons
are more likely to strip the tops rather than eating the
whole plant.
Unfortunately to control rabbit damage you only have two
options, fence the
whole area (certainly possible with raised beds) or
shoot them which may or may
not be possible in your location!
--
NorfolkGardener
Posted by David Hare-Scott on April 21, 2010, 6:30 pm
ZeroZero wrote:
> I have just started gardening after years in a flat/prison.
> I have built eight raised beds and planted some brassicas in most of
> them. All went well for a couple of weeks and the plants established,
> then virtually all the crop dissapeared overnight.
> Whatever ate them left the peas and the broad bean plants not to
> mention strawberries. It went for the outer leaf parts leaving the
> stalk part standing. It did leave the red brassicas - mostly - having
> a bit of a nibble, and it seemed to go through all the beds
> metghodically.
> What is it?Pigoens? Mice?
> I dont think its slugs its all done in a night..
> Is it worth leaving the established but denuded plants or should Ijust
> get some new plants?
> My guess is the only answer is to cover with old plastic bottles until
> the plants get bigger
> all advice welcome
Check the corpses for grubs. Cabbage moth larvae can work very fast if you
don't notice them and let them get started. If that is what it is you have
several options.
David
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>
> I am guessing pigeons! The pigeons ate all the groundhogs in the UK a
> long time ago