Thanks everyone. Sorry my email alerts don't seem to be working. Maybe I'll tip the pot up tonight and have a little look at the underside. When it does something (whatever is thing is) I'll let you know what it is.
Mine are out, just waiting for the sawfly larvae to turn up
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Gosh was that pic only 2 days ago? Maybe it was an old pic? They've got flowers now - and I found another two specimens since. As always there's a story....
I found a significant looking root when digging a border and planted it back in. Then forgot where it was and put a bit of paving stone over it. Sure enough this didn't deter it and this alien looking thing poked out from under the stone - I've never grown SS before. I vowed to move it next year when I saw the one graceful stem with weird flowers.
This year, I've started collecting all these bits of root in a Soloman's Seal herd - I found another two bits under a Mahonia and there's another bit in the middle of a bed that I reclaimed from the lawn so not sure how that happened?!
Anyway, it looks like it's easy to grow so I expect a flock of them next year.
Sawfly you say nut? Oh dear. What are the symptoms?
You can't miss sawfly on SS Tetley! Dozens (or even hundreds!) of small grey caterpillars will strip the foliage almost overnight! Just check every day and squish any you see. Birds seem to find them distasteful so don't expect any help from natural predators. They tend to start on the lower leaves and are masters at hiding under them.
So putting the caterpillars on the bird table is not an option then?
Wondering if the neglected garden I took over didn't have SS in such concentrations as to attract pests so me creating a "herd" might send out the sawfly "bat signal" ha ha?
Anyway I know what to look for now - and TO look for it so thanks Nut and Bob.
Posts
Thanks everyone. Sorry my email alerts don't seem to be working. Maybe I'll tip the pot up tonight and have a little look at the underside. When it does something (whatever is thing is) I'll let you know what it is.
Gosh was that pic only 2 days ago? Maybe it was an old pic? They've got flowers now - and I found another two specimens since. As always there's a story....
I found a significant looking root when digging a border and planted it back in. Then forgot where it was and put a bit of paving stone over it. Sure enough this didn't deter it and this alien looking thing poked out from under the stone - I've never grown SS before. I vowed to move it next year when I saw the one graceful stem with weird flowers.
This year, I've started collecting all these bits of root in a Soloman's Seal herd - I found another two bits under a Mahonia and there's another bit in the middle of a bed that I reclaimed from the lawn so not sure how that happened?!
Anyway, it looks like it's easy to grow so I expect a flock of them next year.
Sawfly you say nut? Oh dear. What are the symptoms?
You can't miss sawfly on SS Tetley! Dozens (or even hundreds!) of small grey caterpillars will strip the foliage almost overnight! Just check every day and squish any you see. Birds seem to find them distasteful so don't expect any help from natural predators. They tend to start on the lower leaves and are masters at hiding under them.
http://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/solomons-seal-sawfly
Fantastic Bob, thanks.
So putting the caterpillars on the bird table is not an option then?
Wondering if the neglected garden I took over didn't have SS in such concentrations as to attract pests so me creating a "herd" might send out the sawfly "bat signal" ha ha?
Anyway I know what to look for now - and TO look for it so thanks Nut and Bob.