Galanthus Diggory - bugs

[emma T]

http://www.william-sinclair.co.uk/commercial/ornamentalhorticulture/products/compostadditives/met52granular

I'm going to give this a try , it apparently works on a number of insects that infest soils .

[johnw]

Emma  - Here's the rub:  "Control of larvae is likely to be greatest in peat-based growing media."  I wouldn't put a snowdrop bulb within a kilometer of peat.

johnw

[emma T]

I still think it's worth the experiment

[zorija]

It appears to be only available to the trade and fairly expensive at roughly £60 per kilo being the minimum quantity. This includes VAT and delivery costs.

But the Met 52 only needs to protect one decent bulb to pay for itself...

I wonder if some varieties are more prone than others to these blighters.

johnw - Would you use bark as an additive ? I know that Kath Dryden was generally keen on using bark but I think it might cause botrytis unless sterilised.

[johnw]

zorija - I have eliminated "all" bark as well.  The only organic material I use is finely chopped partially rotted oak leaves and a commercial dry pelletized compost from leaf and yard trimmings used for top-dressing - edit: there could be a very small amount of bark in that.

johnw

[Paddy Tobin]

A narcissus enthusiast in Northern Ireland was interviewed on Gardeners' World last weekend and he echoed thoughts I have had re narcissus fly in the garden. He said that as soon as he removed the dead foliage he thought it very important to hoe over the area where the bulbs were growing. At this time of year the earth very often has dried out and there is a tunnel formed and left by the foliage. This is the access for the narcissus fly maggot. It moves from the surface to the bulb via the tunnel left by the dead/dying leaves. It is important to break up the surface of the soil above the snowdrops as soon as possible so as to fill these holes. Application of layer of compost might have the same effect.

Paddy

[zorija]

Came across this product, whilst potentially no use to safeguard against Narcissus flies, might control the damage caused by slugs.

http://www.waitrosegarden.com/product/_/strulch-organic-garden-mulch/classid.2000009217/?gclid=CLSE-p-O0sECFQbkwgodx3MAXg&gclsrc=aw.ds

Has anyone any experience with this product ?

[Maggi Young]

This "Strulch" is not a product I have seen.
 I wonder what is done to it ? -  "A patented process is used to 'preserve' the straw so that it lasts for up to two years and gives an earthy brown colour. "

I find the claim that  "slugs and snails do not like the texture of this strulch" to be  very optimistic  - we spread large quantities of our homemade shredded mulch ( which is not dissimilar to this 'strulch') across our garden and in no way could we say that the texture discourages rampaging molluscs. I would think our own mulch is much rougher in texture - and therefore  supposedly more likely to be disliked by slugs and snails- than the straw based 'strulch' and so would theoretically be more of a deterrent.

We read all the time that molluscs will be deterred by  rough surfaces - mulch, sand, grit,  crushed egg shells and so on - I have yet to find a surface that these pests will really avoid. Copper bands seem to repel them from pots - but such  applications are hardly practical for a whole garden!

I'll be delighted to learn that this, or other  products do work - though I'm far too mean to spend money when we can make our own mulch!

[Mavers]

Strulch is pleasant to use & looks neat when spread out on the soil surface

As Maggi suggested I haven't found it to be particularly disliked by slugs & snails........the small black ones still hide under it & they are the ones that damage snowdrops before they even emerge above ground.

Homemade mulch & compost is less tidy looking than Strulch but costs nothing 

[ruben]

Narcis fly is a real plaque! Several years i lost bulbs (about 5% of my collection each year) to narcisfly!
In August I could allready see the bulbs with a brown basal plate, and yes there was a bug in it.
Most of the time the bulb was totally lost!

I searched for a method to fight the Narcis fly.
In Israël they use a product called 'VYDATE'. Its 99.9% effective.
You put a dose in 10liter water and you pour the plants 1 time a year in April.
The snowdrop absorbs the product - nothing else dies (for my important).
If the Narcis fly put his eggs in the snowdrop and the fly starts to grow it will die immediately after eating the bulb.

I used this product for the second year now and guess what - Not even one bulb lost to narcis fly!

[zorija]

Hi Ruben,
It seems VYDATE , whose main chemical constituent is OXAMYL, is not readily available here in the UK.

I shall try MET 52. Pity I couldn't water MET 52 in with VYDATE...

Glad you have a solution in your country.

[Alan_b]

It seems VYDATE , whose main chemical constituent is OXAMYL, is not readily available here in the UK.

Not even for agricultural use, as here http://www2.dupont.com/Crop_Protection/en_GB/products_services/insecticides/Vydate_10G.html ?

[Maggi Young]

Many of us are not keen to use a chemical  to  kill pests which is just as likely to kill us! 

[ruben]

You 're absolutely right maggi! I am not for the use of pesticides.
I've tried everything to combat the narcissus fly.
But unfortunately was spraying vydate the only opion with a good result.

I grow all my surplus of snowdrops in my father's garden in shade and there i have almost no narcisfly!
They love a nice warm place.
In my new garden i have not even one three, but I have planted some and I read in hope I do not have to spray in one day

[Tim Harberd]

Hi Alan,

Thanks for the Vydate link. Very interesting. I'm slightly amused that it is packed in ''Ecolite'' containers! If you follow the link to the ''Vydate Stewardship Programme'' there are more amusing words. These words, from that page, aren't so amusing ''All nematicides are classified as Harmful to Health. All nematicides are classified as Dangerous for the environment.''

Personally I would take issue with the assertion that Vydate is ''an essential product for the production of potatoes.... etc''. Since my potatoes are grown without it.

Tim DH