Search found 62 matches

by mikepearce45
Thu Feb 01, 2024 12:14 pm
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Woodlice eating strawberries
Replies: 4
Views: 652

Re: Woodlice eating strawberries

Oldherbaceous and Westi Afternoon both and thanks for your replies The raised beds were in fact brand new last year , so no rotting wood. The "attacks" to the fruit only started after a layer of straw was put down to keep the soil spashes off the berries , so in theory, my attempts to prot...
by mikepearce45
Fri Jan 26, 2024 6:11 pm
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Woodlice eating strawberries
Replies: 4
Views: 652

Woodlice eating strawberries

Can anyone please advise me on how to control a woodlice infestation in my strawberry patch which is in a raised bed. I lost many berries last year from these little pests.
by mikepearce45
Sat Feb 18, 2023 2:15 pm
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Using standard decking boards to make raised vegetable beds
Replies: 10
Views: 2471

Re: Using standard decking boards to make raised vegetable beds

tigerburnie Just picked up your post and watched the video. Those are some hefty bits of wood you have used but they certainly seem to work ok. Interesting that you have not initially filled the beds with soil (likewise Colin judging by the "soilmark" in his pictures) I would have made the...
by mikepearce45
Sat Feb 18, 2023 1:48 pm
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Using standard decking boards to make raised vegetable beds
Replies: 10
Views: 2471

Re: Using standard decking boards to make raised vegetable beds

Good suggestion regarding scorching wood. There are many YouTube videos of people building cabins in the US. Canada , Alaska and Scandinavian countries where scorching is the preferred choice for "raw" wood preservation. Might give that a go,
by mikepearce45
Thu Feb 16, 2023 9:15 pm
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Using standard decking boards to make raised vegetable beds
Replies: 10
Views: 2471

Re: Using standard decking boards to make raised vegetable beds

Thank you both for your replies. I had thought about lining the boards as a " belt and braces" security against chemical leakage into the soil. Likewise about using scaffolding boards - they could be a possibilty depending on any other advice I may receive on using decking.
by mikepearce45
Thu Feb 16, 2023 3:47 pm
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Using standard decking boards to make raised vegetable beds
Replies: 10
Views: 2471

Using standard decking boards to make raised vegetable beds

Advancing years and knee problems have now resulted in me considering the use of raised beds in the veggie garden. Having considered buying some of the commercially produced kits, and having been put off by the price, I am considering making some of my own using standard decking boards. Regulations ...
by mikepearce45
Sun Jun 19, 2022 11:26 pm
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Using tea bags in the compost bin
Replies: 12
Views: 4029

Re: Using tea bags in the compost bin

Many thanks for the replies. I have also had a similar problem to Monika in that I keep finding the empty bags in places far away from the veggie patch. Perhaps I will have to change from using Tetley to those used by Monika or loose leaves as suggested by Geoff. I will keep investigating as I am su...
by mikepearce45
Sun Jun 19, 2022 3:21 pm
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Using tea bags in the compost bin
Replies: 12
Views: 4029

Using tea bags in the compost bin

My family uses a lot of tea bags which end up in our compost bins. Unfortunately, when the bins are emptied and the contents scattered throughout the veggie garden, we are left with the unsightly view of the empty bags which have not rotted owing to them containing polyproylene. My questions are, wi...
by mikepearce45
Sun Feb 07, 2021 11:58 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Use of well composted horse manure in the veggie plot
Replies: 9
Views: 5618

Re: Use of well composted horse manure in the veggie plot

That sounds very logical and and confirms what I have found out since posting my original query. Just goes to show that no matter how long one has been gardening, you never stop learning. Thanks Geoff.
by mikepearce45
Sun Feb 07, 2021 7:17 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Use of well composted horse manure in the veggie plot
Replies: 9
Views: 5618

Use of well composted horse manure in the veggie plot

I have, over many years, been an enthusiastic user of well rotted horse manure on the veggie plot with reasonable results. I have read recently that there are some "experts" that now say that although the manure is a good/excellent soil conditioner, it should only be used sparingly on the ...
by mikepearce45
Fri Jun 12, 2020 10:26 pm
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Large worms in my waterbutts
Replies: 12
Views: 7353

Re: Large worms in my waterbutts

Hi Sally, Now that's interesting and would certainly explain why they were in the waterbutt. Also explains why I encountered few surface worms when digging in the veg plot a couple of days ago until I reached a spade's depth when more were in evidence. I did in fact tip the original worms into a com...
by mikepearce45
Fri Jun 12, 2020 2:39 pm
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Would someone identify this for me please?
Replies: 10
Views: 5449

Re: Would someone identify this for me please?

If you have a large garden centre near to where you live, perhaps they have a "plant identification" service. Worth checking.
by mikepearce45
Fri Jun 12, 2020 2:24 pm
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Large worms in my waterbutts
Replies: 12
Views: 7353

Re: Large worms in my waterbutts

judyk and Monika - thanks for your thoughts. The butt is lidded but not sealed so I am assuming that the worms smelt water and made their way up the side of the butt. There were so many of them, I did in fact refer to them as a "writhing mass of animal life" in a previous post as there wer...
by mikepearce45
Tue Jun 02, 2020 8:41 pm
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Large worms in my waterbutts
Replies: 12
Views: 7353

Re: Large worms in my waterbutts

tigerburnie - they are certainly not dead, they can best be described as a "writhing mass of animal life". I transferred them all into a smaller container and watched them, there were no dead ones. All now in my compost bin. Strange that there were no worms in the other two butts but the &...
by mikepearce45
Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:01 pm
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Large worms in my waterbutts
Replies: 12
Views: 7353

Re: Large worms in my waterbutts

Photo attached - Having now seen them close up, they look remarkably similar to the worms in the compost heap.

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