As you know, I found vine weevils last weekend. But I haven't seen any more since. What I have seen, however, is at least two slugs on the Magnolia. So I'm starting to wonder whether the damage is from vine weevils or slugs:
I need to wait until the end of the month to buy nematodes (understandably, but sadly, slugs and vine weevils are predated by different species) as I'm now skint. So I thought I'd try some other natural controls. I saw a tip on a gardening show a few weeks ago advising the application of bran around the base of a plant to avoid slug attack. In for a penny, in for a pound, eh?
So I dug out the packet of nice expensive organic wheat bran I bought when Paul was going through his I-want-muesli-but-not-with-raisins phase (oh yes, I made him muesli from scratch...), and chucked a load around the base of the Magnolia. And I tried the Hamamelis too. I trimmed off the really chewed leaves, which at least means if the unchewed leaves get damaged it'll be easier to notice (and I'll be able to confirm that it's either vine weevils or flying slugs).
Watching Gardeners' World this evening and found out about an anti-slug garlic wash - two garlic bulbs crushed and boiled in two pints of water, strained and topped back up to two pints, then a tablespoon added to a gallon of water. Of course, what I'd really like to do is come up with a combined, completely pesticide-free preventative spray, but a) it's probably been tried and it hasn't worked, and b) I'm in danger of seasoning rather than protecting my plants!
I need to wait until the end of the month to buy nematodes (understandably, but sadly, slugs and vine weevils are predated by different species) as I'm now skint. So I thought I'd try some other natural controls. I saw a tip on a gardening show a few weeks ago advising the application of bran around the base of a plant to avoid slug attack. In for a penny, in for a pound, eh?
So I dug out the packet of nice expensive organic wheat bran I bought when Paul was going through his I-want-muesli-but-not-with-raisins phase (oh yes, I made him muesli from scratch...), and chucked a load around the base of the Magnolia. And I tried the Hamamelis too. I trimmed off the really chewed leaves, which at least means if the unchewed leaves get damaged it'll be easier to notice (and I'll be able to confirm that it's either vine weevils or flying slugs).
Watching Gardeners' World this evening and found out about an anti-slug garlic wash - two garlic bulbs crushed and boiled in two pints of water, strained and topped back up to two pints, then a tablespoon added to a gallon of water. Of course, what I'd really like to do is come up with a combined, completely pesticide-free preventative spray, but a) it's probably been tried and it hasn't worked, and b) I'm in danger of seasoning rather than protecting my plants!
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