Well, Let me tell you what I found!!!
I pruned all the dead stuff from my strawberries. and have about 22 small
plants. Some have 'woody' root clumps, others have regular white stringy
roots. It will be interesting to see how they grow. They are all so
little!
There are a LOT of "Roly-Poly" or "Sow" or "Potato" bugs in the containers.
all of them. How do I get rid of them before they eat all the fruit again!
I am trying to be as natural as possible in large pots, but there are armies
of bugs and worms in my soil in all of my large container pots!!! Where
did they come from?? That soil was sterile last spring when I set things
up!!!
I put a red onion in one empty pot a few weeks ago because it sprouted green
and I thought I'd try to grow more. It has not grown, I pulled it out to
look at it, and there are small very mobile worms all over the root end..
there is no root growth that I can see and the tips of the green shoots are
brown. ICK! They are not earth worms!! Too pointy.
Anyway. how does one address pets in containers?? I don't want to toss the
soil and start over. that would be very costly and I don't have help in
moving that much soil again (many trips to Costco got me where I am now!)
I'm very open to ideas..
Thanks
Kari
Scoop them out and discard them. Sowbugs feed on dead plant
material, and want to avoid light. There are pesticides if you're so
inclined, but I'm not. I don't see them as threatening, nor do I use
insecticides. Margaret L
Kari:
Don't think anyone else has responded...I am NOT much of a container
gardening person, so, again, I was hoping someone else would jump in. For
the most part, I think most of what you are describing is critters feeding
on dead plant material rather than pests that are harming the plants. They
will feed on roots for the moisture... How to get rid of them, I'm not
sure!
Someone else??
Debbie
Well, Let me tell you what I found!!!
I pruned all the dead stuff from my strawberries. and have about 22 small
plants. Some have 'woody' root clumps, others have regular white stringy
roots. It will be interesting to see how they grow. They are all so
little!
There are a LOT of "Roly-Poly" or "Sow" or "Potato" bugs in the containers.
all of them. How do I get rid of them before they eat all the fruit again!
I am trying to be as natural as possible in large pots, but there are armies
of bugs and worms in my soil in all of my large container pots!!! Where
did they come from?? That soil was sterile last spring when I set things
up!!!
I put a red onion in one empty pot a few weeks ago because it sprouted green
and I thought I'd try to grow more. It has not grown, I pulled it out to
look at it, and there are small very mobile worms all over the root end..
there is no root growth that I can see and the tips of the green shoots are
brown. ICK! They are not earth worms!! Too pointy.
Anyway. how does one address pets in containers?? I don't want to toss the
soil and start over. that would be very costly and I don't have help in
moving that much soil again (many trips to Costco got me where I am now!)
I'm very open to ideas..
Thanks
Kari
Roly polys like cool dark soil; lift a board or rock and they are almost
always there; and yes, everything I've read about them is that they are =
not
a danger to healthy plants but they are cleaners. You say 22 plants, in =
how
many pots and of what size? Did you thin? Since roly polys like cool =
and
wet, cleaning, and thinning should start to encourage them to move on.
Wherever your pots sit, if you lift one, I would say roly polys under =
the
pots are normal.
Earthworms are generally good things, even in pots.
For your onion problem, see this.
http://www.uvm.edu/extension/publications/el/el76.htm
Again a pest that likes cool and wet. You may need to work on changing =
that
by moving your pots or watering less.
Esther Czekalski
Deborah
Green
Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2006 10:31 AM
To: GARDENS@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: Re: container PESTS!
Kari:
Don't think anyone else has responded...I am NOT much of a container
gardening person, so, again, I was hoping someone else would jump in. =
For
the most part, I think most of what you are describing is critters =
feeding
on dead plant material rather than pests that are harming the plants. =
They
will feed on roots for the moisture... How to get rid of them, I'm not
sure!
Someone else??
Debbie
Well, Let me tell you what I found!!!
I pruned all the dead stuff from my strawberries. and have about 22 =
small
plants. Some have 'woody' root clumps, others have regular white =
stringy
roots. It will be interesting to see how they grow. They are all so
little!
There are a LOT of "Roly-Poly" or "Sow" or "Potato" bugs in the =
containers.
all of them. How do I get rid of them before they eat all the fruit =
again!
I am trying to be as natural as possible in large pots, but there are =
armies
of bugs and worms in my soil in all of my large container pots!!! =
Where
did they come from?? That soil was sterile last spring when I set =
things
up!!!
I put a red onion in one empty pot a few weeks ago because it sprouted =
green
and I thought I'd try to grow more. It has not grown, I pulled it out =
to
look at it, and there are small very mobile worms all over the root =
end..
there is no root growth that I can see and the tips of the green shoots =
are
brown. ICK! They are not earth worms!! Too pointy.
Anyway. how does one address pets in containers?? I don't want to toss =
the
soil and start over. that would be very costly and I don't have help in
moving that much soil again (many trips to Costco got me where I am =
now!)
I'm very open to ideas..
Thanks
Kari
PS. The official word for keeping containers clean is to use new =
potting
soil every year. But I don't; especially for perennials. And, for =
things
like basil, if it did well last year, I clean out old roots but just add
enough new soil to fill.
Esther Czekalski
Deborah
Green
Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2006 10:31 AM
To: GARDENS@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: Re: container PESTS!
Kari:
Don't think anyone else has responded...I am NOT much of a container
gardening person, so, again, I was hoping someone else would jump in. =
For
the most part, I think most of what you are describing is critters =
feeding
on dead plant material rather than pests that are harming the plants. =
They
will feed on roots for the moisture... How to get rid of them, I'm not
sure!
Someone else??
Debbie
Well, Let me tell you what I found!!!
I pruned all the dead stuff from my strawberries. and have about 22 =
small
plants. Some have 'woody' root clumps, others have regular white =
stringy
roots. It will be interesting to see how they grow. They are all so
little!
There are a LOT of "Roly-Poly" or "Sow" or "Potato" bugs in the =
containers.
all of them. How do I get rid of them before they eat all the fruit =
again!
I am trying to be as natural as possible in large pots, but there are =
armies
of bugs and worms in my soil in all of my large container pots!!! =
Where
did they come from?? That soil was sterile last spring when I set =
things
up!!!
I put a red onion in one empty pot a few weeks ago because it sprouted =
green
and I thought I'd try to grow more. It has not grown, I pulled it out =
to
look at it, and there are small very mobile worms all over the root =
end..
there is no root growth that I can see and the tips of the green shoots =
are
brown. ICK! They are not earth worms!! Too pointy.
Anyway. how does one address pets in containers?? I don't want to toss =
the
soil and start over. that would be very costly and I don't have help in
moving that much soil again (many trips to Costco got me where I am =
now!)
I'm very open to ideas..
Thanks
Kari
