In this months edition
Fabulous Fuchsia's
Summer Fruits
Your Questions Answered
Top Tips
Poultry Pen
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Your Questions Answered
How can I tackle this caterpillar problem?
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 I think caterpillars are
munching holes in my pepper and chilli leaves in the polytunnel. Is
there a biological control I can Use on this pest?
Mr Farmbly, Northampton |
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 You
can get a biological control to kill these pests. There is a
bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis that is commercially produced and
specifically attacks caterpillars. It is a natural bacteria so it
won't effect the environment. Because it is not persistent it will
need to be applied regularly.
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Not eggs-actly what I thought
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| We bought 7 chickens supposedly at POL, 3 were speckeldies and
4 were blackrocks. 1 speckeldy died and 2 blackrocks were treated for
sneezing before any of them began laying, which didn't happen until we had
had them for about 10 weeks. Only 3 are laying and very haphazardly, for
example we had 3 eggs yesterday and none today (so far). We think it is
either the 2 speckledies and 1 blackrock or 1 speckledy and 2 blackrocks
that are doing the honours. Do you think we have a problem or is there
something we can do about it, apart from starting again.
Celia. Earls Barton |
| Buying
chickens can be worrying. It is essential to ensure that you obtain birds
from a good respectable breeder. It is worth noting that during
transportation, the birds are under stress, this weakens their immune
system and gives rise to a number of problems. It is also the same
when they are housed. Stress is a big factor in egg laying, where the
birds feel traumatised they stop laying.
Sneezing, runny nose could be attributed to stress or a secondary
ailment such as a viral disease. A thought to consider is to keep
these birds apart from others and monitor the situation, ensuring the
housing is kept in a hygenic condition before introducing any more.
Unfortunatly, chickens don't always do, what it says on the can. Bear with it, and in most
cases these problems should settle down.
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Why have my
beans not bloomed?
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Why
is it my runner beans produced a lot of leaf and grown tall but have no
flowers?
Terry,
Thorplands
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It
looks like your beans have grown away to early and too fast, probably due
to good rich soil, which they like. But to reich can mean they grow
to leafy. When the plants reach top of support, pinch out the top and
sideshoot growing tips to halt growth. This may help induce
flowering.
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