Aaarrrgghhh!

Attack of the plague of caterpillars!

Last weekend, noticed some little ones on my broccoli. Knocked as many as I could see off and sprayed with some isecticide stuff that's supposed to finish the job. When I looked yesterday, the broccoli plants have mostly been stripped bare. And worse, some big buggers have been chomping their way through my sprout plants

Tried to identify them but struggling - there seem to be three types. The little ones are black/brown with yellow on them. One lot of the bigger ones look similar but furry and about 4 times the size (3cm). The other big ones are smoother and a pea-green (these cabbage whites?). Dozens of little ones, about 15 big black/brown ones and 3 or 4 greens.

I picked all I can see off but more were there today. I'm off now for some stronger chemicals.

There was finally, just, enough grass for me to mow the lawn today - first time since early June.

Not much weeding to do in the borders though! 

There was finally, just, enough grass for me to mow the lawn today - first time since early June.

Not much weeding to do in the borders though! 

Same here. Managed to cut whatever grass there was on my front lawn.

The big warm up is on in Sydney, 24c today, 25c tomorrow, 26c Saturday and 28c by Sunday, will probably pop over 30c in the western suburbs away from the coast. The sun is really starting to pack a punch again now and a sun hat is need when gardening!

We had some rain a few weeks back and I quickly got some sugar cane mulch down on the vegie patch. I checked under the mulch layer this morning and sure enough the moisture has been locked in. Without this the soil can quickly become resistant to water! In my last garden in Australia I remember letting an area of soil totally dry out and even after heavy rain the moisture would never get in to the soil!

Tomatoes and beans are on their way up 

There was finally, just, enough grass for me to mow the lawn today - first time since early June.

Not much weeding to do in the borders though! 

Same here. Managed to cut whatever grass there was on my front lawn.

Whereas over here in the arid semi desert region of Kent, finally my lawn is now looking uniformly green and lush, thanks to regular bouts of rainfall in the past month. Gave it a cut yesterday and it is looking very smart for it.

Aaarrrgghhh!

Attack of the plague of caterpillars!

Last weekend, noticed some little ones on my broccoli. Knocked as many as I could see off and sprayed with some isecticide stuff that's supposed to finish the job. When I looked yesterday, the broccoli plants have mostly been stripped bare. And worse, some big buggers have been chomping their way through my sprout plants

Tried to identify them but struggling - there seem to be three types. The little ones are black/brown with yellow on them. One lot of the bigger ones look similar but furry and about 4 times the size (3cm). The other big ones are smoother and a pea-green (these cabbage whites?). Dozens of little ones, about 15 big black/brown ones and 3 or 4 greens.

I picked all I can see off but more were there today. I'm off now for some stronger chemicals.

Similar problem here with the cabbage white butterfly stripped broccoli cauli and sprouts. Thing to look for is the little yellow dots usually on the underside of the leaves, these are the eggs. One solution that I've read about is to crush egg shells and leave them on the plants, They're supposed to represent other white cabbage butterfly's laying eggs and the real ones fly away because they don't want competition for there larvae

Aaarrrgghhh!

Attack of the plague of caterpillars!

Last weekend, noticed some little ones on my broccoli. Knocked as many as I could see off and sprayed with some isecticide stuff that's supposed to finish the job. When I looked yesterday, the broccoli plants have mostly been stripped bare. And worse, some big buggers have been chomping their way through my sprout plants

Tried to identify them but struggling - there seem to be three types. The little ones are black/brown with yellow on them. One lot of the bigger ones look similar but furry and about 4 times the size (3cm). The other big ones are smoother and a pea-green (these cabbage whites?). Dozens of little ones, about 15 big black/brown ones and 3 or 4 greens.

I picked all I can see off but more were there today. I'm off now for some stronger chemicals.

Similar problem here with the cabbage white butterfly stripped broccoli cauli and sprouts. Thing to look for is the little yellow dots usually on the underside of the leaves, these are the eggs. One solution that I've read about is to crush egg shells and leave them on the plants, They're supposed to represent other white cabbage butterfly's laying eggs and the real ones fly away because they don't want competition for there larvae

I blasted them all with some bug-killer, and boy did those bugs be killed. My sprouts are currently like peas, but I still have hope - after all, you should never eat sprouts till the first frost has tasty'd them up

OK, question for the gardening experts.

The compost in which I've grown my crops this year (in containers); can I use it again next year? Or is that a no-no?

I've got two great big pots that I grew potatoes in and one big one that had carrots. The others I'm not fussed about.

Any help appreciated.

OK, question for the gardening experts.

The compost in which I've grown my crops this year (in containers); can I use it again next year? Or is that a no-no?

I've got two great big pots that I grew potatoes in and one big one that had carrots. The others I'm not fussed about.

Any help appreciated.

Expert arrived

Rotation. Plot 1 becomes plot 2 plot 2 becomes plot 3 and so on. You're not meant to grow potatoes in the same plot for 3 years. So, I guess the same would be said for a pot/container.

One of these might help you....

It gives you a list (on the back) of what to do with what and what to grow with what. Best thing I ever got hold of

One of the best potato crops we ever grew was by using old aircraft tyres (specifically tri-islander tyres) plant your tubers in compost in a tyre lying down, then when it comes to earthing up place another tyre on top of the first and then earth up and so on, if you get good growing conditions you can get three or four tyres filled with a good crop of spuds.

Not having a garden or allotment I only have a small patio.Every thing is container grown-Pots/troughs.This is 3rd year of doing so.Crops this year-Lettuce,runner beans,dwarf beans,mangetout,carrots.Fruit-apples,plumbs (4 only only),blueberries,thorn less black berry,Redcurrants but the birds eat them.Not stopping them as I like the wild life and post regularly on the Wid About Britain site.The patio is small but just large enough with some flowers also in tubs and baskets....

Thanks for the replies, chaps.

The biggest problem with carrots is carrotfly, if you can't protect your crop then you've had it.

You really need to thin carrots out well after the seedlings mature a little, if you don't thin them well back they become weaker and prone to fly. You feel like you are doing more harm than good when you really pull loads out. But I never had carrort fly in the UK.

We have a big problem in the back garden at the moment, tree roots. I noticed during the summer that the patio paving near the bottom of the garden was lifting in places, and one paving slab had broken in half. Last week I dug out a narrow strip of soil against the fence and found tree roots coming under the fence base panel, so I ended up taking half the patio paving up to find that large roots up to 2 inches in diameter have spread as far as 6 or 7metres  up the garden.

The tree responsible is a common Lime, about 30 foot high and only 4 metres outside our garden. The tree and the land outside belong to Stockport council, so they are now involved and we are expecting a visit from them sometime next week.

Apart from the bottom of the garden looking like a building site, we are still picking Runner Beans and still waiting for Tomatoes to ripen, although this hot weather should help.

Not really to do with gardening, but while outside enjoying a fantastic late september evening yesterday, I was treated to a close up view of one of these flying all around me vising the flowers (I think I was stood in its way). Instead of diving for the camera and scaring it away, I just stood dead still and watched its amazing flying skills.

I saw several of these last year, but this is the only one I have seen this "summer"

Beautiful

PS - I think it is some sort of fish which can fly

Not really to do with gardening, but while outside enjoying a fantastic late september evening yesterday, I was treated to a close up view of one of these flying all around me vising the flowers (I think I was stood in its way). Instead of diving for the camera and scaring it away, I just stood dead still and watched its amazing flying skills.

 

I saw several of these last year, but this is the only one I have seen this "summer"

Beautiful

PS - I think it is some sort of fish which can fly

Looks like a hawkmoth

Yep.
Looks like a Hummingbird hawkmoth.
Beautiful.

What an amazing and lovely creature.  Great photo

I love moths

Well captured Steve, couldn't have been easy. I had one fly into the conservatory earlier in the year, I was trying to keep the dogs off of it and grab my camera all at the same time. It escaped through the doors in the end unharmed but I never managed to photograph it.

Just cut my Musa's down to a decent size and winter protected them with straw string and a dustbin lid .