this year's tomatoes

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this year's tomatoes
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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Fri May 17, 19 2:06 pm Post subject:

sgt.colon wrote:

I'll get one sorted for you Shan. I think the compost was Westlands or something like that. I check on that also and get back to you.

oh

i would be looking to get a few good plants and a different growing media.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Sat May 18, 19 8:14 am Post subject:
It could also be that they have been a bit cool. None of my plants that have been out on the patio have grown very fast this year as it has been rather cool. Not a bad thing as I can't put them out until husband decides what is happening about the raised beds i.e. we get on with them or we go with what we have for this year.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Sat May 18, 19 2:35 pm Post subject:
Here you go Shan, this is how things are looking. A tomato and a pepper plant.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Sat May 18, 19 2:52 pm Post subject:

they dont look good and there are no weeds on the compost.

i might consider starting again with new compost and some plug or pot plants

the slimey hoard ate a third of the stem of one of my boys, insert expletives as appropriate, i have dispatched tt for poison.

poison is not nice but i will bottle it to protect the birds and soil and will use barrier and beer as a longer term thing but that was unacceptable and my wrath is unbounded in a jules / haber sort of way.

you opened the gates of janus ya slimy ####

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Sat May 18, 19 5:45 pm Post subject:

decency and good council led to copper bands and some sheep wool pellet things that smell like a long dead sheep got carded and popped through a mincer and then dried so i hope they repel the slimy hoard as much as they repel me.

i might top that up with a binliner of wolf and yellow hell hound fur i have been keeping for something useful.

poison and perhaps even a new dressing of nematodes is a bit extreme as i rather like the rare breeds snails and little black slugs that turn dead plants into soil and dont bother green stuff.

i must check the bycatch/ target list for the current nematodes on sale as i do not want to go no molluscs just no pestilent molluscs on me delicates

there " might " be knife fighting in the dark to thin em a bit and gain intel as to which species and how many are about to inform for the next stage.

ahhhhh im going full caddyshack on their slimy little asses

as i wrapped a copper band round a pot i thought it would be better with two electrodes that were an inch apart and had 20000v across them

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Sun May 19, 19 6:47 am Post subject:
Possibly a little extreme for slugs. I have some rather dirty fleece I might try as a slug deterrent as it seems to be a non- poison way to go. I usually use a combination of beer traps and old copper pipe, which works fairly well in all but wet years.

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Sun May 19, 19 8:01 am Post subject:

sgt.colon wrote:

Here you go Shan, this is how things are looking. A tomato and a pepper plant.

Not good! I’d suspect the potting medium. I think you’re going to have to start again. Make certain you disinfect your pots with jeyes fluid.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Sun May 19, 19 11:38 am Post subject:
i suspected the medium when westland got a mention and seeing the snap it does seem the most probable cause. my chewed one is still alive and might survive with only a little retardation, i will give it a few days and then possibly replace it with a spare. space is premium here so any plant has to be as good as poss to start with.

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Sun May 19, 19 4:58 pm Post subject:
I could cut some of the side-shoots off my tomato plants and get them going for you if you have anyone passing or near?

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Mon May 20, 19 7:20 am Post subject:
Thank you Shan and DPack. Thank you for the offer Shan. We were at Wyvale garden centre yesterday and they are selling tomatoes off. 6 for £1 I'll try again next year.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Mon May 20, 19 7:21 am Post subject:

dpack wrote:

i suspected the medium when westland got a mention and seeing the snap it does seem the most probable cause.

Are Westlands not very good for compost then?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Mon May 20, 19 11:10 am Post subject:

i have had problems with them in the past.

as a general thing bagged composts vary quite a bit from maker to maker from year to year and even batch to batch.

the current online reviews help a bit and the annual yearly survey of 50 or so brands by which magazine is very useful

i suspect some makers are less than fussy about ingredients or ruthless at abandoning batches with a low success rate than others

from what i found out it seems that some firms compost animal bedding that was treated with herbicide ( rape seed straw for horse boxes has been an issue ) and the other source of herbicide residues is domestic/local authority green waste (folk spray it then put the dead stuff in the compost bin

)

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Mon May 20, 19 1:39 pm Post subject:
Thanks for that DPack, I never knew. Next year I'll do a bit more research before I buy a seedling compost. First year I've ever bought one and what a disappointment.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Mon May 20, 19 5:35 pm Post subject:

no shame mate , i had no idea some composts were less than reliable if they came in a bag.

i would have thought reputation was a high priority but it seems the odd dodgy batch or year still works for some firms , not specifying any by name but i spose some just work the bad reviews into costs and expect most punters blame their lack of green fingers rather than the compost.

if/ when you dispose of it pop it under the patio or on the knotweed rather than anywhere you might wish things to grow

duff compost to murder knotweed might actually work

this should be trialed

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Tue May 21, 19 8:19 am Post subject:
Thanks DPack. I'll stick it on the knotweed and let you know how I get on.

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