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Post by rowanberry on Jun 18, 2018 20:20:51 GMT
I was going to put this in the insects section, but I'm not sure that it IS an insect... hundreds have appeared over the last day or two on the leaves of my poor mallow. I'm hoping a good dose of my home-made garlic spray will see them off, but I thought it best to try and find out what it is first.
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Post by aeshna5 on Jun 19, 2018 4:27:06 GMT
Just as well as you didn't put it in the insect section as it's fungal. It's Mallow Rust, Puccinia malvacearum. Also affects other Malvaceae such as Hollyhocks too.
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Post by rowanberry on Jun 20, 2018 20:02:51 GMT
Thanks for that, Aeshna. I read up about Mallow Rust, and it sounds like it's pretty difficult to get rid of. What a shame, just when it was flowering so well!
I've cooked up an especially strong and very foul-smelling batch of my garlic insecticide (slugs hate it) and I tossed in a handful of calendula petals, since they are anti-fungal. It might not work, but I'll give the plant at least a chance to recover. If not, looks like I'll have to pull it out... I'm just glad I don't have hollyhocks, since they're also susceptible to it!
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Post by NellyDee on Jun 21, 2018 9:59:43 GMT
How do you make your garlic insecticide? My gardener will insist on using slug pellets, no matter how often I tell him not to and that I am against their use, so maybe if I make garlic insecticide he can be persuaded to use that.
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Post by rowanberry on Jun 23, 2018 14:33:04 GMT
Helen- I just typed out a reply to your question and firefox went and seized up on me... I'll do it again later this evening once it decides to behave itself! (We're having signal problems today.)
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Post by rowanberry on Jun 23, 2018 20:41:55 GMT
Helen- here's the recipe...
I simply chop up four or five whole garlic bulbs (skins and all) and if the slugs are being really bad I'll add one chopped bird's eye chili pepper as well. Depending on what herbs I have growing in the garden, I'll toss in a bit of anything I know they don't like- thyme and rosemary are both good.
Then I pour in a litre of water and put it on a slow boil for about 15 minutes (with a lid! because it really reeks.) If it's a sunny day, I stick it out in the sunshine when the smell indoors gets to be too much... I've discovered a hot pan sitting in direct sunlight will continue to steep quite well.
Then, I strain it into a large bottle and keep it in the fridge, and use it as needed in a spray bottle. I have to redo it after a rain, which is a nuisance, but I prefer that to slug pellets, too. What with having frogs and fox cubs in the garden, I just don't like have a poison sprinked around on the ground.
just wanted to add... it seems to deter aphids, too!
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Post by NellyDee on Jun 25, 2018 9:56:05 GMT
Thank you - will get cooking right away, and woe betide gardener if he does not use it.
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