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Yellow pellet mystery

christomargochristomargo Posts: 21
in Problem solving
Hi, Can anyone tell me what what the yellow, spherical things in my plant pots could be? They look EXACTLY like slow release fertiliser pellets, but they are not, because I haven’t used any for a number of years and I haven’t bought compost containing them either. They are not hard like the fertiliser. I squashed a few and they pop and have a gelatinous substance inside. I pulled out a plant from one of the pots and left the compost and yellow things in it, to see if if anything materialised, but nothing has. My plants are fine. They seem to be in the pots that I have had perennials in for a few years, which makes me think they are the product of some garden creature. Help! 😊
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Posts

  • christomargochristomargo Posts: 21
    At first I thought they may be slug or snail eggs but I googled those and they are nothing like them (thank goodness!) 😊
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited August 2022
    Photos please. Fertiliser pellets can last for years. I still have lots knocking around in my pots though I haven't used them for three years or so.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    The fertiliser in those pellets passes through the shell into the compost in liquid form, leaving just the shell … like a hollow hen’s egg. They can stay like that for years. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    My pet snails eggs are round yellow and have jelly inside! 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I always thought garden snail's eggs were white?
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I don’t know,  slugs are white but I’ve only seen snails eggs in a tank,  they are bright yellow. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited August 2022
    According to this Garden snail eggs are white 

    https://www.intoyard.com/what-do-snail-eggs-look-like/

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • christomargochristomargo Posts: 21
    I think they will just have to remain a mystery. They are definitely NOT fertiliser pellets. 
    Thank you everyone for taking the time to answer. I do appreciate it. 😊
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    💡 What about those water retaining gel bead thingummies?  Some composts contain them. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • christomargochristomargo Posts: 21
    I’ve never bought them or compost containing them. Thanks for the suggestion though 😊
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