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What's eating my primrose petals??!!
ive checked for slugs and there is no sign of them but it's mostly my blue/ purple coloured primroses that have all the petals eaten on them!! I have checked the plants and the soil as best I can but there is no sign of bugs or caterpillars. They are all in pits with new soil so I'm at a loss as to what is happening to them. Would fairy liquid in water work Or do I need something specialised. I've tried bug sprays but with no joy. Any help is greatly accepted.
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Sparrows! Cheeky little things - but they're getting rarer by the minute so probably the best thing to do is to put some ground food out for the sparrows to tempt them away from the primroses.
It might also be pigeons - offer them a more acceptable alternative
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I have two bird tables filled with food in my garden plus two dogs lol. I've never seen sparrows in my garden although I do get pigeons but they only use the bird table that I can tell otherwise the dogs would bark at them. Will try and keep an eye out though Thanks x
Unless you watch your plants from daybreak to nightfall, I doubt you'll catch them at it.
I do get blue tits although I have t seen them for a while. Cheeky monkeys if it is them. Maybe I might get some netting although it might make the garden look like a fishing boat lol
It's funny but they must like the colour blue as all the other coloured primroses are still pretty much intact!
I've had exactly the same problem with a yellow primrose this spring, and all the surrounding purple or reddish-coloured primulas were not touched. The petals and some of the leaves appear to be eaten off, but there were no slime trails to suggest that slugs were the cause. I had a Primula denticulata (drumstick primrose) a few years ago which suffered the same fate, and I discovered a large, fat grub hiding deep within the cluster of leaves. Have a thorough check of the leaves or try examining the plant after dark with a torch - you may find the culprit then.
Earwigs eat flower petals too
I've had loads of earwigs before so I'm guessing that could be it!!!
Rabbits did for the blue ones in my garden.
I don't think rabbits would be brave enough to come in my garden with two jack Russell on the loose. Plus it's all patio just lots of pots.