What to do about box moth caterpillar and tulip fire
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- čas přidán 3. 07. 2024
- The garden has been hit by three of the most difficult-to-deal with gardening disasters. And they're all increasing in gardens around the world - at least one may be heading towards your garden. How to deal with box moth caterpillar, tulip fire and invasive non-native plants!
00:00 Welcome
00:29 The box moth caterpillar
00:16 What does the box tree moth caterpillar look like?
01:50 How to get rid of the box moth caterpillar
05:20 Does the box moth caterpillar spread to other non-box plants?
05:50 How to recognise tulip fire
06:15 What to do about tulip fire
06:45 How to deal with the invasive non-native plant
07:12 Why native plants are important
09:42 How can a bird feeder be harmful to birds?
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Poor Alexandra - I am so sorry about all the nightmares of your Spring! I hope you recover quickly 🙏
Thank you so much, I really appreciate the support!
This is one reason for using a variety of plants instead of monoculture: if a pest or disease takes out one kind, it won't take out your whole garden, hedge or canopy.
Good point
Thank you for sharing your disasters as well as your successes! It really makes a difference to see that not everything works out in the garden. And I will check my state's invasive list and try to avoid those pretty but thuggish plants.
We’ve been moving some box plants in the garden & discovered the caterpillars on them for the first time this year, having grown Box for 27 years here without a problem. We were discussing this when we looked out the window only to discover a couple of blackbirds, plus half a dozen sparrows eating them with great enthusiasm & also taking them to their young. Very glad they got a good meal out of it. I was expecting Blue Tits would take the most interest, but I haven’t seen them touch them yet.
We looked at some that we haven’t moved, that have clearly been infested, but there are signs of new growth. I witnessed the very beautiful Box moth around the plants last summer.
Glad to hear that our native birds are taking an interest!
The sparrows were shaking the caterpillars initially, but were still continuing to take them. They’re still coming in today, with enthusiasm, it’s so funny when the whole box starts shaking when several are in there together, so maybe our birds can adapt? We have an L shape garden and other specimens in the corner haven’t been spotted by the birds sadly 😂 Box in our front garden have escaped the attentions of the moth, so far..
Thank you for sharing your woes! As a fairly laidback gardener who is continually learning how to dance with nature, love the dandelions etc, I’m still making mistakes,😅and still digging up bluebells and alkanet🙄😂in between everything else that needs doing this time of year. The challenge continues for me, in trying to blend the old cultivated garden, with a more relaxed wilderness without it looking like I’m letting it go. But of course I am, to a degree. And I am starting to like my garden more now. I’m now working on bringing this balance, so there’s a sense of some control with structure, without it affecting nature in a negative way.
Pests are so good at hiding, I can see how it was hard to tell you had the box caterpillar. Time for me to check up on my plants with my reading glasses on and a good magnifying glass in hand 😅
good luck!
Oh no. This vid made me realize my tulips failed this year due to botrytis.
Was wondering why I had weird twisted leaves and all the buds failed.
"Who found that out, or how they found it out" haha, yeah, I don't want to know that either. We have Bacillis Thuringiensis here in America ( I'm in the southeast), we tend to just call it BT. I am constantly digging up wild violets, spiderwort and battling chinese wisteria that travels from the yards of the neighbors on three sides. At 73 y.o I've resigned myself to not winning, just keeping it at bay.
Same here with creeping charlie, bindweed and sweet autumn vine here in Indiana. At least I got my neighbor to get rid of the trumpet vine on his side of the fence.
An often overlooked disaster waiting to happen is crocosmia/montbretia infestation. They're tolerated initially because they're pretty but if they start popping up in unexpected places you've got to dig them out and either dispose of the surrounding soil or finely sieve through it to remove all the tiny bulbs because it will get exponentially worse and worse. I've dealt with plenty of gardens over the years that are completely swamped in the stuff and I'm yet to find a practical solution that gives long term results, it just keeps coming back year after year.
Wow! I've seen those here in CA, and had no idea. They are pretty, and available for sale at many places. Thanks for the warning, though I've read they are not as problematic here, due to our dry conditions. Alexandra is correct, that certain plants really take off near waterways, to the detriment of native species.
My my! I can't get crocosmia to grow at all. Plant bulbs from friends or from a nursery, they sprout, grow a bit, then croak. Happens every time.
Purple loosestrife is a killer in my part of Canada. Chokes out streams and waterways. Very pretty but incredibly invasive.
We have those too and I now pull it ruthlessly. I'm holding them back. It's only the naturalised ones that are the problem (the orange and yellow flowered ones) - here, in any case. I have several cultivated varieties and they're not invasive at all.
It's interesting, because in fact crocosmia is listed as an invasive plant in the UK, but it doesn't seem to be too bad in most gardens. I think it probably depends on what part of the UK it's in. It gets round my garden pretty thoroughly, but I find it relatively easy to pull out and I quite like it. But if it was any more persistent, I would definitely not want it.
It's hard to survive winter by looking forward to spring and the healing and joy that comes from the garden, only to face these types of very daunting challenges. It can be discouraging! It is kind of you to share both the ups and downs & I send you best wishes. It's incredible that we can garden for years and years and there is always still so much to learn. I view each season in the garden as an opera - so much drama, so many players, and the show must go on! p.s. The variegated coloured climbers by your green door are very charming.
Thank you!
Bindweed! That’s my burden. I cannot win as it’s endemic in my area and we back on to unadopted land. I deal with it gently it’s no point trying to weed it I just ask it nicely not to strangle my plants!
Here too! Get so tired of it!
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden paint the flowers blue and call it morning glory? 🤣
Having dug,double dug grown into a black bin bag (leaving the border bare for a year) I've accepted that bindweed is more tenacious and canny than I will ever be. I accepted defeat.
I've been cutting a hole in the base of a plastic cup, threading the bindweed up into the cup through the base and then spraying with weedkiller. Repeat al tedium until the plants are weakened and destroyed. Fortunately, I have only one large border....unfortunately I live in rural France, surrounded by agricultural lane and bridle paths edged with the stuff!
I live in Uk. Spanish bluebells and lilley of the walley is taking over my garden. I am trying to get rid off them every spring as much as I can but I have got other plants around so it's not an easy job. Caterpillar on the buxus another problem arised 2 years ago. I use bug clear it seems working. I found out when you notice white butterflies flying around buxus that's the sign of infestation already.
Lily of the valley fetches a good price in NZ online. One countrys weed is another country’s treasure
For that birdfeeder hanger with the arched "arms"...I'm sure that if you look at it long enough, you will think of a way of sliding something over those curves to minimize the chances another bird getting caught in it. A wooden wedge at each junction, a squirrel baffle over the base, a square platform surround...there's got to be a creative (but simple) way to make it safer. It's a beautiful piece, I would try to "fix" it rather than replace it.
Usually I'd agree, but this has been broken, fixed and re-fixed so many times it's barely staying up, so I don't think there's any point in re-doing it. But we'll probably wait until it finally collapses.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Oh, I see! I didn't realize it was nearing the end of its useful life. Good call.
Thank you. I watch regularly Middle-Sized-Garden. I have a flower and a vegetable garden. Greetings from Serbia.
Thank you!
Haha, your question of who found out and how did they found out the caterpillar is bitter to taste made my day😂
Earlier today i posted a comment in one of your topiary videos saying that i found a box moth caterpillar in my privet lollipop - I'm currently removing x7 mature Box infested/ decimated by them. I'm certain that the one in the privet is definitely a box caterpillar & wonder if it is just trying its luck as all the box leaves are already eaten. It's so sad. I'm replacing the box with various Pittosporum. Thank you for all your videos which i always enjoy.
I'm sorry to hear that! The RHS trials say that podocarpus is also a good substitute but the trial isn't complete yet.
I too remove Spanish bluebells every year. I didn’t plant them! I’m finally beginning to get on top of it, thankfully.
Wow! I was going to transplant some Spanish Bluebells from my father's garden because I find them so pretty. After watching this I definitely won't!!!
Oh, yes, I'd definitely advise against it. A pity though because they are pretty.
Here in the Adirondacks we have Tent Caterpillars or spongy moths which are very invasive and are causing alot of damage to the trees. We try not to use insecticides but there are so many. Invasive insects and animals everywhere these days
Good morning Alexander, it was most thoughtful of you to share with us your garden disasters. We don't have box woods in our garden as the Nurseries here are just too expensive for them. Yah for me. Horrible about the the tulips, I think potting them would be better, we live and learn. Those blue bells are so gorgeous. We do not have them I asked the Nursery to order but nothing came through, see, there is always a reason sometimes for not being able to get, let it go. The best thing is to remove 'not nice' plants store them somewhere to dry out it is a bit of a pain but it works! So regardless of all the downs, you look a picture standing next to the pink coloured shrub! Good garden advice is worth a bag of gold, keep up the good tales and happy gardening. The rains looked so nice falling on the pathway. I woke up to light rain this morning, so far, I believe our winter is very mild, hence we are getting good late rains. I love it, yes, it is chilly but it keeps down the horrible dust on the Highveld and rain just makes everything look better!! You understand how bleak a winter season can be. Many blessings, be alert for the bugs and fungi kind regards, Elize 😄
Thank you! I love rain too.
Guessing on timing here, but about 35 years ago, lived in New York State, just outside of NYC. Lived near Bear Mountain State Park, and not too far from West Point. Got invaded by what were called tent caterpillars, I think. Millions of them. They covered our white garage doors, and if you sat quietly, you could hear their droppings as they ate their way through the tree canopy. They denuded the trees in the State Park until it looked like the trees do in winter. Eventually, after much infighting, the state sprayed huge swaths of property to try and control them, and they did. Not sure if they also sprayed the following year. But, by then, people knew what to look for and worked on getting rid of them themselves. Also learned that trees will put out a second set of leaves, but the process weakens the trees, and they shouldn’t have to do that two years in a row, or they might die. The infestation was awful, destructive and dirty.
That really does sound awful.
Another very good video! Thank you.
I am a very much a fan of your CZcams channel, especially because it reflects real-life situations gardens will come across. Wishing you all the best to battle successfully all problems discussed. 🤞🤞🤞
Thank you!
Ha, talk of invasion. I do Spanish Bluebells comes in pink, white & blue, a few lily-of-the-valley, love the fragrance and alkanet. But they are no comparison rather I should say no competition to the 3-Corner -leeks. They are all over the borders. They do look quite pretty when all blossomed and I saw on James Martin Saturday, that the whole plant is edible except the roots. Some London top restaurants use the flowers as garnish. I have enough to feed five thousands. So each year, I have to remove at least 1 full large tub to keep them under control. Tnx for video.
Thank you!
My dad has the same problem. He's 85, loves his garden but rather devastated by the garlic invasion so we're off there tomorrow to help him try to get rid of it....
I love your videos!! Thank you!!
I've got rabbits! They've just eaten all my bean plants twice now - and half the kale and stripped the fennel, nibbled lots of flowering plants, it's disheartening to say the least. We have tried everything including fencing off and netting but alas the little blighters get in and under, they're determined. I will, thanks to your video, be digging up all the Spanish bluebells and fortunately I don't have any box. Also subscription added. Many thanks, we need all the help we can get.
So encouraging, Alexandra! I will need to get right to it!
Loooooove your hearty endorsement for natives---and for removing exotics that outcompete them!
So much time spent on just keeping everything healthy. Worth the work to keep your beautiful garden intact. Keep up the fight.
The bluebells have taken over my garden too! Very pretty but like you they are choking my other plants. Im bracing myself for digging them all out what a job 😁 and really interesting about the tulips I am fairly new to tulips and had this happen this year but wasn’t sure what was going on. Garden disasters happen to us all it helps to know it’s not just me!
Thank you!
Thank you Alex for another excellent video. Ive been battling BMC here in Walderslade ,kent for anout 5or so years now. Diligent hand picking and a spraying programme is helping. Also persuing the emerged moths and setting pheromone traps for them. Get to know how the caterpillar works: look for knitted together foliage with a fine webbing . Pull this apart and youll find one. They always move vertically so follw the trail of eaten leaves .Drip them into a dish of water. The birds tend not to eat them but do investigate the box if there's whitefly present. They might catch on!My Box hedging and shapes are nearly 35 years old anf have moved house with me twice. All from slips rooted from my late Dad's small hedge so I spent coronation day on my knees in the rain picking them off. I made myself a sweep net and lie in wait for the moths wgen they start to fly too. Perhaps you could do a video of them to highlight waht people are to look for? Together we might at least curb this pest.
I would love to succeed in curbing this pest, but the slightly sad thing is that even if we get rid of the BMC in our gardens, more will just fly in from the gardens around! I'm not sure how long we can all keep up the battle.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden I agree Alex. For everyone that's on the case with BMC there are a hundred who blithely buy 'instant garden features ' in the form of topiary shapes. As I sit here typing this, we are watching with glee the sparrows and newly fledged starlings actually picking off the caterpillars from our box!! I'm thrilled to think we might have allies in our on going battle!!
Thank you for this real life informative video...its comforting to hear experts run into problems too!
Thank you for sharing bad things in our gardens xx
Timing of this video was perfect as I was wondering what was happening to some of my tulips…we’ve had a very wet spring so that explains it 😞
Thanks for sharing your experiences👍
Thank you - we've had a wet spring too and it's been really bad for tulips.
We have a sloping bank that we planted with fruit trees years back as it was the only thing we could think of given the incline. It's now covered in English native bluebells in May which are beautiful...but they do pop up in the borders where there is any shade....though pretty easy to remove They are definitely native English and not Spanish as the flowers are smaller and the leaves narrower. My parents have Spanish bluebells in their garden so I won't bring any plants from their garden into ours in case they come with 'bonus' 'bluebells'.
Hello again Alexandra what a very informative video it’s Maxine 82 yrs young I only have one boxwood ball and one laurel ball and I love them as you do thankyou for telling us about catterpillers will be keeping a keen lookout from now on so sorry about your garden problems good luck 😊
Thank you for showing those tulips. Yup tulip fire in MA USA
What is the plant by the doorway, the leaves that are green but with a bit of rose color? So pretty! And thanks so much for your channel. I live in Mexico but enjoy your channel so very much, and much information translates to any garden ❤
Actinidia kolomikta
Thank you - Brendan is right, also called ornamental kiwi
An interesting, important and helpful video, once again. Thank you!
Thank you
I have one Spanish Bluebell plant in my yard and was thinking of keeping it, but now I will pull it out. I didn't plant it and don't need another invasive plant to fight. Thanks so much for your video.
It's so sad to see icons like boxwood get hit so hard. They are a part of suburbia in the pacific northwest also, they look so comfy as hedges in front of little houses, but I assume those here will soon be following the way of those in England.
The Spanish bluebells are HELL to control! They're just everywhere 😱
Thank you A. Enjoy the upcoming season . J in,BC
Thank you!
Alexandra, I'm sorry to hear about your three disaster. I hope your boxwood spire survives. The tulip fire is heartbreaking - you were so proud (and rightly so) of your tulips in previous seasons. I am in California (Zone 9B) and purposely bought a boxwood last week because so far in my San Francisco area we don't seem to have boxwood problems. I feel lucky to be able to enjoy this plant at this time. In my neighbourhood, English Ivy is an invasive species so that my husband struggled for days to hand pull it out of our front small garden about two years ago.
Yes, I understand English ivy really is invasive in the US - it's a wonderful plant for wildlife here, but really not an asset for you
So sorry to hear of your woes. We have all had them. My disasters include a number of diseases that have come in on widely commercialized plants that are wiping out whole species of plants (e.g., a virus attacking roses) in my area, and plants I'm unfamiliar with that have taken over my entire garden (I refer to these as "garden thugs"). It's discouraging, but onward!
Sorry to hear about the virus on the roses, really not looking forward to that one!
I’m in Washington state, US, zone 8b. The spanish bluebells are a welcome sight after our long, wet and grey winters, however, they truly are garden thugs. They do grow through the rootball of your perennials. Some years I have tried to remove them, but they do come back. I now succumb to their Spring presence. Enjoy the much needed beauty and color. They stand up in clusters throughout my garden beds. As we still wait for our ‘real’ garden things to pop up those bluebells have become a nice respite from cold and dank, long winter days. I spent about 1-1/2 hours pulling them out. That is actually just yanking them out from the garden surface. I no longer try to remove the bulbs. They are finished growing for the year. I will still have a beautiful garden.
I think that's where we'll end up as the bulbs don't seem to come out.
Thank you for this insightful video. Here in the Pacific Northwest of Canada, we have a similar issue with Spanish blue bells. We also get bud worms invading each Spring and they severely damage fruit trees and roses in particular. Fortunately, we have BT (or BTK) available, which works quite effectively if you spray each week or two from when plants are just breaking dormancy (although you have to be cautious not to spray it on other shrubs and plants it can damage, like hydrangeas and acers and we always spray in the evening).
I always think anything that damages fruit trees is quite serious - that's food!
My (85 y.o.) dad is currently dealing with an invasion of three cornered garlic which, apparently, is one of the 5 worst invasive species in the UK. So tomorrow we're off to spend the afternoon with a garden sieve etc., to attempt to get rid of it....
Oh, dear, yes I gather that is fiendish.
We had bought nearly hundred small boxwood plants for our border two years ago. Box blight completely destroyed the entire set of plants. Last week we had to literally pull every single one of them off the garden and throw it away. You cannot control it. It almost powders the leaves. It's sad.. a waste of money and energy.
Thank you Alexandra for another useful and informational video!
Box plants are such great additions to the garden and yard, they give structure where you have a lot of whispyness. I am sure there is something else I can use in my garden to add that structure I am looking for.
I think I have had tulip fire before. It's such a shame that the whole plant has to be disposed of. So sad.
I can attest to the invasiveness of non native plants. Sometimes it feels like I will never be rid of them. BLEH! But then what would I do with my time.... 😉😜
And a very Happy Mother's day!
Thank you! I believe the RHS is having success with podocarpus instead of box, but the trials aren't finished yet.
Oh no Alexandra, you’ve got the box tree caterpillars, I’m so sorry to hear this. I’m in Essex and this happened to me. I took all my boxwoods out a year ago after struggling with them for the previous year or more, spent so much time and money on trying to stop them by spraying, putting the traps out etc. I managed to buy the XenTari, it is available online but it gets expensive keep buying it. In the end I had to give up and I removed all mine and can’t plant them any more. Such a shame because they’re so gorgeous and I’m a huge topiary lover. I hope you fare better than I did. ❤
Thank you! I'm really hoping the precautions work because I am actually very fond of my box, but it doesn't look likely.
Oh no, sorry you’ve had a challenging week. Onwards & upwards 👍🏼
Thank you!
Oh my gosh! That same thing happened at my bird feeder a year or so! Dreadful! Here’s to a better gardening week ahead!
Interesting to hear it's happened to someone else.
If you have the catipillar it's too late. We have it since a few years in my Village ( in south Germany) and this year it looks as all buxes are dead in all the gardens I walked by. Spraying helps also not. It's just over with buxus.
I suspect you're right, but I can't bear not to put up a bit of a fight.
you look lovely on this video.....always so informative and well presented
Thank you!
Thank you for this helpful discussion and advice. “Bt” is allowed in the US. Captain Jack’s and Monterey are popular brands. Since Bt bacteria is found naturally in US soil, it’s generally allowed in organic growing. I also use a product called “Mosquito Bits,” made with a Bt subspecies coated on to corn bits. Its main use is in ponds or standing water (where mosquitos breed) to kill those biters, but I add a handful to a watering can to infuse the water with Bt, then water my indoor plants with it once a week. It’s the only thing that completely controls fungus gnats for me.
I hope your trifecta of garden troubles ends soon with glorious green growth and desirable plants!
Thank you!
"a jolly fiddly job" - I love the British way of saying things!
I adore your boxwood spiral! It's gorgeous! Here in Southern California, people use Japanese Boxwood (Buxus microphylla). Not sure if it's susceptible to Box moth; I've only heard of it in France and the UK. For years without fail, I would get 'inchworms' all over my rose leaves in April. I used the bacillus worm spray and it worked well. It came in a concentrate. I don't recall seeing it recently, though California has implemented stricter laws on pesticides (and invasive species) than other parts of the U.S. You make a good point that invasive pests can avoid being eaten by native birds and insects because they are not part of original ecosystem. I'm so sorry you have to dig up those beautiful tulips! I've had bad nematodes stunt tomato plants; changing location and new soil are key. An invasive plant I can't stand is oxalis (sometimes sold as 'shamrocks' around St. Patrick's Day here), both pink and yellow flowering. The little brown corm things fall off of the root easily and it seems the more you dig them out, the more they spread. I think our gophers were hoarding them, and spread them all around the yard. >:(
Interesting, because there are some lovely cultivated oxalis plants but it can also be a real nuisance.
Well, you have caterpillars and I have box blight. Fingers crossed for both of us. By the way, I am astonished at how near the surface your Spanish bluebell bulbs were. Mine burrow deep and I usually only manage to dig the baby ones out. Good luck, Alexandra.
Thank you. Quite a few of mine are very deep indeed, so I'm glad you said that. But a few clumps came out easily on the surface. I'm really dreading the blight!
Thank you for this video Alexandra. The house sparrows had a really good feast on the box caterpillar last year. They have a seriously sized maternity unit in a neighbours roof. I will see if I can spot any myself this year and yank them out. If all that fails, well it is a very boring plant ( put in by previous owners) and I may well pull them up and put something more interesting in - something that flowers 🤔
I'm glad to hear the sparrows are developing a taste for it
I've lost my tulips to tulip fire ;so disappointing. It has spread through my entire garden. And I've been battling Spanish bluebells for a few years. I feel your pain. 😢
I know what you mean about the Spanish bluebells. They do look pretty but we are digging them out and getting rid of them slowly. Also we had box moth caterpillar last year and clipped off all the offending little varmints and picked off loads more, squidging them wearing gloves and binning them. I’m sure they’ll come back again this year though and we have quite a lot of box, some of it in the form of a tall screening hedge. I tried spraying with washing up liquid solution which may have made a slight difference.
Interesting!
🌳🐛THANKS ‼️🐛🌳
The spring in my country in central Europe has been rather rainy so far. I have already had to deal with tulip fire, I am exterminating slugs on a daily basis and I am expecting greenfly and blackfly to arrive soon. I no longer have any box shrubs; I used to have several old ones. I gave up.
It's so sad, box is a good plant, but I think most of us are giving up on it.
Carry on the good fight! I think your strategies are right on target for a peaceful outcome.
I admire that you are a friend to the native wildlife. Maybe a piece of domed, clover shaped metal can wedge on to the bird feeder top to keep birds from catching their feet/claws.
It's been so repaired and it's so old, I think it will really have to go, although so many of them have that design.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden I hope you find the bird feeder you are looking for! Happy shopping!
I live in Zone 7B, north MS. Hot, humid summers (and hot nights), heavy clay soil. I planted Spanish bluebells in areas with not so good soil (under crape myrtle trees), so they have not spread, and even if they do, it won't matter because they're the only thing there! Is that a Kiwi vine? So pretty.
Yes, it is!
Hi Alexandra, thanks for you excellent videos! Maybe your heat and drought last summer weakened your box plants? In Houston we had a fairly severe drought last summer, and chinch bugs destroyed large patches of St. Augustine grass; this was followed by 15 degrees Fahrenheit in December! Fortunately I only lost a few perennials. I’m transitioning to mostly flowering prairie plants and grasses, along with shrubs native to our area. This creates an informal cottage and pollinator garden, but since I don’t prefer formality, it’s fine!
I'm sure you're right and the wet spring has certainly made the tulip fire worse.
Spanish bluebells invasive?? Never knew that. They are beautiful little things but I would not want them seeding everywhere either.
I’m in Ontario and we’ve been hit by it. I wish we were worn about it before and our stores would really stock up on BTK. It’s sold out everywhere
A neighbour was digging out his hedge today - he's been spraying since Christmas but the whole hedge is completely dead.
We have BT easily available in the US. It’s organic bacteria. I use it occasionally
Tulip Fire has been a huge problem in one of my clients gardens this year. I’ve now got the arduous task of digging up over 2000 bulbs. It’s so sad.😢
Oh, that's awful. I sympathise.
My garden is overrun with Spanish Bluebells. I think that they were a 'gift' from my mother about twenty years ago and whilst we've had a few most years, this year they've run amok. I loathe digging up pretty plants, however, you are right, ultimately they are more than a nuisance and potentially threaten woodlands etc. A digging I shall go...again!
and again and again, if our experience is anything to go by.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden I fear so!
Great info, thanks!! What is the beautiful multi colored vine behind you while you’re speaking to us? It’s gorgeous!
That is Actinidia kolomikta or ornamental kiwi
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden thank you Alexandria! I will be on the lookout for this plant!
Try wrapping or weaving some twine around the tight grooves of your bird feeder hanger. That will prevent future accidents.
Now i know why my boxs new leaves disappeared, they lasted for 3 year and flowered
Thanks for the video. I put my two caterpillar ridden buxus into quarter cut oak barrels, placed them against garden walls and raised them off the ground using bricks to make for easier maintenance and pruning for my old bones!
Question: Can you tell me where to buy the stone table with wood cross legs under? (It was in the clip of a gardener shown pruning a border row of box hedges). 🙏🏻
I bought it from Garden Trading in the end of season sale last year
Can you say more about Spanish bluebells, I have tonnes in my garden this year and as well as you, never planted them. Where did they came from and how are they spreading please? My pests are slugs 😩 I pick them by hand and with a bit of help from hedgehogs. Thank you 😊
"world domination in your garden" 😆
What is that gorgeous shrub or vine you're standing next to with the different colored leaves?
It's Actinidia kolomikta or ornamental kiwi. I'm now realising I should label it because I think it's the most popular plant in my garden!
Can I please ask what the tree next to your left with pink top leaves? It looks so unique to me!
It's a beautiful varigated kiwi vine. There are a few varieties, so make sure you research which variety you want.
I had a two lovely box hedges edging my beds for 20 years - kept nice and fluffy, not pruned hard. Although I live in a fairly isolated spot in Surrey - and escaped, or so I thought, the box caterpillar - last year I discovered them hidden in the centre of the shrubs - away from predators. I cut out loads and burned it. They looked dreadful. In the end I chopped them down to stumps. They are re-growing - but the moth will return no doubt. So I am considering grubbing them up. It is so disappointing
It is so disappointing. People I know are having some success with Xantari, which is not technically licensed for sale in the UK (should be coming soon) - they get it on the internet. But I think the problem is that we get reinfected from neighbouring plants.
What is the pink white and green plant behind you?
I look after the very large communal garden where I live…nobody else here is interested! No Box, amd tulips okay this year, but I have Spanish bluebells, and Iris foetidissima and Allium Triquetum absolutely everywhere. I actually like the Allium (and eat it!) and as we are a corner plot right in the town I don’t have to worry about escapes to neighbouring gardens. The verges outside are already covered too, I think it came through the fence from those originally. We have a lot of mature trees and difficult areas, so I tend to let things grow if they can 😊
That all sounds rather delightful.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden It is! Just coming into my second year of working in it from very neglected, and starting to take shape. I love it! Your videos are fabulous, really useful and inspiring 😊
Thank you for a very interesting video, I don’t have box plants and my tulips are fine but I do have Spanish bluebells , I am desperately trying to rid my garden of them , I’ve been putting them in my garden waste bin that the council remove and use for green waste I’m told they heat the waste to very high temperatures and this destroys any weed seeds etc. I hope that’s the case for the bluebells as I can’t burn them, not allowed bonfires. And if the go to landfill I’m sure they’ll regrow . Am I right to do what I’m doing?
Yes, you're right. The council green waste does heat to high temperatures so it will kill the bluebells.
So disappointing when things go wrong. The best laid plans…
Lost all of my Box three years ago. Absolutely nothing worked. Even tried dunking my topiary ones in water over night but they still died.
Oh dear. I only have a few Spanish bluebells but I think I'd better clip off the seeds!
Just pull them up - clipping off the seeds won't stop them! Any other bulb would give up, but they'll be back even after you've apparently 'dug them up'.
Blues abound in my yard because I planted bulbs from a store. I don't believe they're invasive Spanish bluebells, but they do tend to get into places I didn't plant them. Does that make them invasive? I dig up the willy-nillies and put them in an area with the original bulbs, and enjoy a dense spread of lovely blue hyacinth like blooms every year. However, there is enough of them there and they need dividing. After seeing this video, I'm not sure if I should dig up bulbs and offer them to other people or toss them in the yard debris bin for the local compost pickup?
It's difficult to say. To be on the safe side, probably put for the local compost pickup. But you're obviously keeping them under control in your garden, so carry on enjoying them
Spent the morning digging up beautiful Spanish bluebells, not the most satisfying job😏had to remind myself it was the for the benefit of the English. Sadly after some research I discovered that what looked like English ones were in fact hybrids. So I’m having to dig them all out. Will start again, when I’m sure I’ve removed them all, with responsibly sourced fresh stock😅digging out the alkanet at the same time 😅😂
I didn't mention the alkanet! Too overwhelmed by the bluebells....
Hi Alexandra, could you share what are the two evergreen pine like shrubs on the sides of your path? I'm looking for a lon needle shrub that does not grow too large. Thank you
They are dwarf Pinus mugo, a very good 'ground cover' pine
blight is the reason I wont do box and now more reasons not too.
I got box caterpillar last year. Luckily I only have one plant and I managed to save it by picking them off for weeks. I tried to feed them to my chickens but they wouldn't eat due to the bitterness. You can tell because when chickens find something bitter they will shake their head and flick their tongue out. And we are talking about animals that will happily eat used tissues and mastic, so the caterpillars must be really, really disgusting to eat.
Absolutely!
I planted a variety of plants and some are growing roots into my sewer drain, clogging it up. That’s my unexpected garden disaster.
Tough to deal with, not nice at all.
Oh, dear, that's not great. If it's any comfort it probably means the sewer drain was cracked to begin with and even if you hadn't planted any plants, some plants would have made their way in. The RHS research seemed to show that plants don't crack drains, but if drains are already open in any way, they will get in there.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden yes, the sewer line was cracked but I didn’t think it through well enough. I should’ve kept more of that area just covered in wood mulch instead of trying to make everything covered with plants. Maybe if the plants along that area die, I will leave them be. Like you’d quoted in an old video, there are no mistakes in gardening, just experiments. 😅
Not quite sure what I will be battling in my new garden in South Carolina. Mostly I want to remove large hedging plants planted under my front windows. People who plant them are convinced they can control them as low growing hedges. They’re wrong. I will replace them with plants whose genetic imperatives don’t require warfare. I like to enjoy my garden. There are now dwarf versions of so many plants. I’ve never been enamored with box, but for many gardeners it’s been the structural framework for their winter gardens.
exactly! And how sensible to take out the large hedging plants.
What is the name of the beautiful climber behind you with the pink splashes on the leaves?
I discovered box caterpillar this morning. Luckily my box plants aren’t anything special, so I might just pull them out and replace with lavender.
I was looking to see if someone had already answered this question. What a beauty that variegated vine is. I would love to know its name too.
It's ornamental kiwi or Actinidia kolomikta, though I don't know which variety of that it is.
Yes, I think get rid of the box! I'm only treating mine because I actually really like it and it will be a headache to replace.
Hi What is the name of the climber behind you with the green and pinkish leaves please?
actinida kolomikta or ornamental kiwi. I must label it in future videos as lots of people have been asking.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden thank you
What is that plant you're standing next to, with pink in the leaves? I have a spiderwort that looks like that, it's called "Blushing Bride".
It's actinidia kolomikta or ornamental kiwi
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden thank you!👍
What's the name of the plant behind you with the pink tips ?
Actinidia kolomikta or ornamental kiwi
Spinosad should take care of any caterpillar. It's organic.
After watching the video and checking my tullips in pot, I can confirm it is tullip fire.
This is my third gardening year and it is the first time I encountered this.
I already thought they looked funny and thought it was because they were in a pot this year.
We moved house in early march and luckily I have not much put in the garden yet.
Knowing that it is tullip fire I will keep tullips in pots for now.
I do have a question though: one pot with tullips has a white tullip who is unaffected.
Can I pull this one out and putting it in a separate pot?
And will it already be invested with dus fungus or could I save this one?
I don't think there's an exact answer to that. Tulip fire spreads very easily. Get rid of the tulips with tulip fire, and get rid of the compost they were potted in. But if the tulip has been in the same pot as the ones with tulip fire, then there's quite a strong chance it also has the virus at an undetectable level. It's probably safer to get rid of it.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Oke thank you, then I will get rid of them all.
Including all the soil within the pot.
Just to be sure.
Does the terracotta pots also need to be cleaned and stored for a while, before using with new tullips?
That is not a middle sized garden. That is a BIG garden!
It's 100ft x 80ft and 40ft wide, which is big for many towns and cities in the UK, but would be considered 'small' in many villages or in countries where there's much more land per person. Hence middle-sized.
I don’t understand why BT is not allowed in GB. It targets only caterpillars and doesn’t affect other beneficials.
I think it's a delay in the approvals process rather than 'not allowed'! it just means it's not legal to sell it now, but apparently likely to be allowed some time in the next 18 months.
Box caterpillars pick and squash?
You can, but it could take a long time if you have a lot of them!