Dry conditions mean watering has been a major task all month but no amount of watering is as good as a good dowsing with rain. Crops such as peas that need plenty of moisture are growing much slower than normal which means that pea weevils are having a much greater effect on the young plants.
Weeds have been removed from around the growing peas so that at least they don't have competition from any moisture that is available.
A couple of aquilegias that I planted in the new flower bed have spilt personailities. Each has two distinct types of flower. The two types of flowers are different colours and grow to differing heights. So I seem to have ended up with four plants for the price of two. The problem is do I split them now whilst I can see what is what? Or do I wait?
One advantage of the dry conditions is that the slugs are less active and so the hostas are for now being left alone. Some are in pots with vaseline smeared and copper ribbon wrapped around them. They also stand in saucers which usually have water in them and they are kept away from any other plants from which persistent slugs can abseil. Others are more vulnerable and will no doubt be attacked before the season is out so I'll just have to enjoy them while I can.
The complete diary entry for last week is now on the website here although we haven't managed to upload a video clip yet.
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I've had no slug or snail damage this year. Dry weather has to have some advantage!
ReplyDeleteAlthough the smell is vile I have used WD40 to successfully deter slugs. Depending upon the material you could spray your pots, I have used it along the sill of my greenhouse and it seemed to stop them crawling in .
ReplyDeleteWow, those hostas look fab!
ReplyDeletethanks for the WD40 tip BilboWaggins...I will keep that in mind. Having said that I've never had a problem with slugs or snails (looking for wood to touch) but always handy for the just in case.
ReplyDeleteI have so far managed to avoid watering...I don't like to do it unless absolutely necessary and just when i was getting a little frantic we had some good rainfall so I can get away without it again for a while. As for the flowers...i think you should leave them be...they look great with the two differing flowers!!
What a bonus to get four plants for the price of two, that happened to me too recently. Your hostas are impressive. I also grow my hostas in pots. They are stood on the patio and they never suffer from slug damage, perhaps it's because they're so far away from any soil or perhaps I'm just lucky.
ReplyDeleteHi VH - There has to be some plus side to lugging heavy cans about doesn't there.
ReplyDeleteBw - The hostas in the photo are in wooden tubs which makes them harder to deall with and they braush against other plants so the slugs can abseil across. Also they are right by the house but I'll bear the WD40 in mind for other things.
Hi Nome - I love hostas we have lots more around the pond.
Tanya - can you send some rain our way as we have had onlt a minial fall - not enough so we don't need to water.
Jo - My hostas that are in clay pots with copper tape and vaseline round and are up on the wall round the pond usually manage OK but the ones on the patio are less lucky. Is your patio flagged as slugs come up through the gaps in the paving flags on ours.
Things are looking very nice there. No slugs yet here. It has been very dry here as well but I'm not complaining about all the sunshine we've had. Thankfully, it finally rained today.
ReplyDeleteAquiligeias always sulk for me when I divide them. It would be easier to place your newly split plants with the flowers on though, wouldn't it? Four for the price of two is a good deal...wish that would happen to me.
Christine in Alaska
Yes, my patio is flagged. I've never noticed any slugs coming up through the cracks though.
ReplyDeleteYou are lucky Jo - we even noticed slugs getting into our porch. We couldn't imagine how they got in but the slime trail pointed to to doorway - just a normal gap where the door fits. We stuck copper tape all around the inside of the door frame which seemed to stop them - before that it was at least one a night in there. Both my sister and I have flagged patios and have lots of slugs on them. In fact as for snails before we used concrete we had no snails at all - I guess they like the chalk for their shells.
ReplyDelete