20-02-2014, 05:23 PM
11
Re: Please help me
Originally Posted by Myth and Magic
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I do not suspect pests Janela because this is the only area affected, but thank you for the suggestion.Being a wimp, I am not really strong enough to dig the earth out Plantman, than is why I hoped to be able to neutralise whatever has polluted the soil, if all else fails I could try to dig a little out at a time.
20-02-2014, 07:06 PM
13
Re: Please help me
Originally Posted by Janela
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Great minds Barry 
20-02-2014, 11:03 PM
14
Re: Please help me
[QUOTE=Julie1962;417944]Depends what was used and how deep it penetrates but sometimes you can dig out the soil and replace it.[/QUOTE]That's what I was thinking too Julie. Plus adding some of that Myco...... fungus that I cant' spell!
It seems very odd M & M, hope your Rhubarb's safe to eat if it's growing close by?
If changing that bit of soil doesn't help I would definitely slab it and put a table & chairs there instead!
20-02-2014, 11:06 PM
15
Re: Please help me
Originally Posted by plantman
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Good thinking about vine weevils Jan, Mrs. P. has her share of problems with them in her house plants and they are notoriously difficult to get rid of. Another pest around here because of the sandy ground are chafer grubs, which mainly attack lawn roots but can infest the borders just as easily....
Aren't you supposed to be able to spot these creeping about if you take a torch outside just after dusk! My friend uses the biological nematodes on them.
21-02-2014, 08:26 AM
16
Re: Please help me
Originally Posted by plantman
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Surely you can find someone big and strong to help you with it Maggie, but if not I will call in and do it for you myself next time I'm passing by..
I don't mean to sound ungrateful and would welcome your visit. You could sit on my garden bench drinking tea and telling me how to do it. or
we could both sit on the bench drinking tea gazing at the bad patch and planning the assault
21-02-2014, 08:42 AM
17
Re: Please help me
Originally Posted by Myth and Magic
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I have been gardening for most of my life and during that time I must have seen everything, but this has me flummoxed. For years I had an evergreen shrub screening my compost area, it suddenly turned brown and died. This was not unusual as I reckon to lose something every year to windborne weed killer.I dug it up and replaced it with another evergreen, this too withered and died; I tried a couple more with the same result. Now quite a few years later I tried an evergreen Hebe which grows just about everywhere, this is already turning brown.
Do you know of a weed killer or anything that could contaminate the ground for so long? Any suggestions as to what I should do? It is just this one patch, things are growing quite nearby.
Perhaps your compost heap has made the soil too acidic for that particular shrub. Buy a Ph kit and test the soil. You might need to put down some garden lime (which you should be adding occasionally to your compost anyway)
21-02-2014, 11:06 AM
18
Re: Please help me
Oh Bruce just got in before me. I was going to mention that maybe the compost is too strong for the plants you are putting in there. So no poisonjust over fed. They don't eat a lot in Winter as they are not growing so could be the goodness from the compost soaking to the roots and killing it off
If the Rhubarb is growing like mad and not going brown then that could indicate well fed soil. Although saying that I would be careful eating something you thought might be poisoned.
I was reading about the Hebe and that is a half hardy plant. So doesn't take too well to very cold Winters. Do you still get a little sunshine in Winter in the corner where you have the heap?
I have no Sun on my garden for nearly three months in Winter and I have to cover my plants with hay until the Sun comes back. Even in the coldest of our Winters lately it saved so many plants putting hay on them.
21-02-2014, 11:26 AM
19
Re: Please help me
Originally Posted by plantman
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Good thinking about vine weevils Jan, Mrs. P. has her share of problems with them in her house plants and they are notoriously difficult to get rid of. Another pest around here because of the sandy ground are chafer grubs, which mainly attack lawn roots but can infest the borders just as easily....
I've had the problem at home and at work and at work, as it was only a small plant, I dug it up and found 20 huge chafer grubs so in the end I had to dig all around it and replace all the soil but I kept the plant in our greenhouse for a month and it recovered well.
It's now quite healthy but a slow grower still.
Not had the same luck at home though having lost three evergreens in the same place now over 5 years.
There was a plant there when we moved in - can't remember the name of it now - but it got a bit too big so after two years I dug it out and put a variegated laurel there.
That last 5 years and was a lovely yellow-and-green in a sheltered spot that contrasted beautifully with a bright yellow mexican orange nearby - then it suddenly went brown and died!
Suspecting Chafer bugs I dug down and found nothing at all so I thought "feed it" but it got worse so it had to go.
I put a Hebe Great Orme in there as there was another one 24" away - and that died too so I gave up and left the Niponica to invade the space!
I've yet to find a weed killer that is still active after 6 months so all that I can think of other than grubs / weevils is some kind of pollutant deep in the soil that's been taken up by the plant.
This is what I suspect I've got at home but I have other 15 year old structural plants too close to attempt to effectively replace all the soil. stevmk2
21-02-2014, 01:34 PM
20
Re: Please help me
Thank you all for your help, I am making a list for my next visit to the garden centre.You seem to have had a similar problem to me Steve, I am going to try the various pieces of advice but of course, it takes time to see any results. The remark about deep pollutant made me think, because there is a clump of bluebells growing near the same patch.
I am also thinking about the compost overfeeding the area; in fact that could be it because the compost is in a slightly higher piece of ground therefore could be draining down .
Lots of things to think about, thank you again.
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