Well put holistic comments Verdun. Very realistic.
There is a lot of pressure sometimes on the forum to do as others do or wish us to do.
It is right to put forward environmental issues but also keep it in perspective. And as you say, to enjoy our garden as we see fit.
I use slug pellets (on occasion)but no insecticides, that's justhow I garden. If my gardening changes and I feel a need to control pests more then I have to say I will be less likely to choose pesticides simply from views and education on the forum. If I had a particular problem I would ask on here and make my own decision, but appreciate all views.
We have our lawn treated by a firm. he came the other day and was talking about Daddy long legs - he said there are a great many this year and we need to be vigilant for next year as it means there will be a lot more grubs munching there way through our lawns.
I put very little on my green patch. I won't call it a lawn, as it has more clover and other lawn weeds than grass. It has had a feed once in 5 years. It has been scarified for too much moss twice in five years. It is however a green patch for lounging on etc.
Much as I admire bowling green lawns, I am too lazy to put in the effort to acquire one.
I do agree with Verdun, in that any grub killer watered on lawns now, is not going to affect most feeding bees, unless there is flowering clover at the moment. It could affect solitary bees, and for that reason, as I know there are solitary bees in the lawn soil, I won't be treating mine.
Watching the crane flies laying their eggs was interesting, even if they wouldn't stay still long enough for me to photo.
I spray my lilies at the first sign of lily beetle with a systemic insecticide. It is at least 8 weeks later before they flower. Looking at the amount and variety of bees I have had this year, it does them no harm. Most everything else, I leave to its own devices. Its a hard life in my garden. If they're lucky, they get fed once a year. I water if they start drooping. After that they just get on with it.
The big problem with Provado is that once a plant has been treated with it, any pollen produced by that plant later in the year, or in following years, contains Provado - so avoiding treating when the plant's not in flower just doesn't get around the problem of the bees being affected.
Many of the plants we buy from the GC have already been treated with it.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Posts
There is a lot of pressure sometimes on the forum to do as others do or wish us to do.
It is right to put forward environmental issues but also keep it in perspective. And as you say, to enjoy our garden as we see fit.
I use slug pellets (on occasion)but no insecticides, that's justhow I garden. If my gardening changes and I feel a need to control pests more then I have to say I will be less likely to choose pesticides simply from views and education on the forum. If I had a particular problem I would ask on here and make my own decision, but appreciate all views.
We have our lawn treated by a firm. he came the other day and was talking about Daddy long legs - he said there are a great many this year and we need to be vigilant for next year as it means there will be a lot more grubs munching there way through our lawns.
Do they attack decorative grass roots?
I put very little on my green patch. I won't call it a lawn, as it has more clover and other lawn weeds than grass. It has had a feed once in 5 years. It has been scarified for too much moss twice in five years. It is however a green patch for lounging on etc.
Much as I admire bowling green lawns, I am too lazy to put in the effort to acquire one.
I do agree with Verdun, in that any grub killer watered on lawns now, is not going to affect most feeding bees, unless there is flowering clover at the moment. It could affect solitary bees, and for that reason, as I know there are solitary bees in the lawn soil, I won't be treating mine.
Watching the crane flies laying their eggs was interesting, even if they wouldn't stay still long enough for me to photo.
I spray my lilies at the first sign of lily beetle with a systemic insecticide. It is at least 8 weeks later before they flower. Looking at the amount and variety of bees I have had this year, it does them no harm. Most everything else, I leave to its own devices. Its a hard life in my garden. If they're lucky, they get fed once a year. I water if they start drooping. After that they just get on with it.
my lawn has bare patches and patches with dead grass,sandy soil.is this cranefly larvae?
The big problem with Provado is that once a plant has been treated with it, any pollen produced by that plant later in the year, or in following years, contains Provado - so avoiding treating when the plant's not in flower just doesn't get around the problem of the bees being affected.
Many of the plants we buy from the GC have already been treated with it.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.