Garden Management & Forum

[pepsipuss]

We have some problems with the Ibex (known as Cabra de Montaña here). They are very beautiful, with spectacular horns, but we have lost the bark on a couple of nice trees to them but they don't seem interested in the pines! The wild boar also can be a bit of a problem, digging stuff up. We have over 4 hectares so fencing not really an option!

[Chianti]

Oddly enough only last week I found wild boar tracks in a field within a minutes walk from the house. I was rather surprised to note that they come out in the open. I thought their natural habitat was the woods.

On Saturday 3 cars rushed into our village, the hunters got out in a hurry in heavy wind and rain and that could only mean one thing: They had been tracking the boar. They spent the better part of 1/2 a day trying to force it into the open but didn't succeed.

I've been told they're a nuisance digging up bulbs etc. but they certainly are nice as sausages and stew. Maybe you should be out catching them.

[pepsipuss]

We certainly get plenty - usually at night - often whole families judging by the tracks. Often late in the evening when we are tucked up inside the dog suddenly wakes up and barks the place down. We let him out and he goes rushing off and comes back ten minutes or so later totally puffed! We used to worry about it but they are more afraid of us/him than we could ever be of them. They have been eating the fallen almonds recently.

[Chianti]

I agree unless you go near a mother protecting her young then they aren't a real problem, apart from the damage they cause to bulbs.

Do you by any chance know how many digits or toes they have on each foot as I've seen tracks with both 2 and 3, can they both be wild boar?

[pepsipuss]

Defo only two for boar, and the OH (who has probably forgotten much more about these things than I will ever learn ) can't think of a European mammal with three toes, although bird prints show 3.

[Chianti]

Pepsipuss
Thanks, most of the tracks which I've seen are 2, but recently saw tracks with 3. What ever the animal it was large and heavy. A neighbour with a bad pedicure perhaps

[pepsipuss]

Chianti

A neighbour with a bad pedicure perhaps

[pambon]

Help needed! I have one small rose plant in my 'garden' (given to me as a present) which has some nasty white fluffy stuff around the stems. What is it and how do I get rid of it?
When do you prune roses.

[pepsipuss]

Hi Pambon
I am useless in the garden but fortunately I have an expert at hand in the form of the OH. The Oracle says it is probably woolly aphids - brush off and spray with an insecticide like Confidor. You need only 1cc in 2 litres of water and it can be bought in very small amounts. Agricultural suppliers will usually supply a syringe for measuring small amounts otherwise buy an insulin syringe (usually 1cc) from pharmacy. Woolly aphids are very hard to kill because of the nature of the beast. The woolly part is actually the poo which they wrap themelves in - lovely discussion for after Xmas lunch - and the insect can do a lot of damage to the plant so best get on top of it asap. The time to prune is after flowering.

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

[Chianti]

Pambon

What a shame you have the wooly aphids and I agree that Confidor is good, it's very powerful which is why it comes in a tiny bottle.

As for pruning, some say in the autumn and others in the spring. I do both but the spring is better if you get frosts and snow, which I have a feeling you don't. By pruning in the spring you get rid of all of the damaged growth from the winter.

[pambon]

Thanks for the advice. Do you know what Confidor is called here in Italy? There's a good but minute garden centre near here, maybe if I explain the problem they'll give me the correct treatment..

While I'm at it, is it OK to put 'concime' (the English word escapes me for the mo. and I haven't been drinking yet!)
on the garden in the spring to help growth?

[pepsipuss]

It is a Bayer product so probably same as here. Here is a link to the page about it on their Spanish site.
http://www.bayercropscience.com.mx/Baye ... nfidor_BCS
The important info is the active ingredient which is imidacloprid, which may or may no be spelled differently in Italy!
What is concime? Oracle not present as he is in the garden (where else, although it is nearly full dark? ) trying to work off some of the lunchtime calories. Will ask when he comes in.

[Jenroy]

Concime can translated either fertilizer or manure. We normally apply fertilizer during spring, whereas we would normally apply manure over the winter period ahead of the growing season and what has not been incorporated into the soil by the worms would be turned in during Spring.

Hope this helps.

[pambon]

Pepsipuss, thank you so much. I've written it all down to take with me!

'Concime' is fertilizer. Had to look it up cos I just couldn't remember the English. (I think, dream and even talk to myself in Italian after a life-time here and now that the years are piling up, I find that some words are slipping from my memory )

I think spring is possibly the time for such........

[Chianti]

Pambon

While waiting for the Christmas pud to steam:

Confidor can be purchased in Italy at any good garden centre.

Here concime is applied either in the autumn to give it time to become incorporated in the soil, but mainly in March.

I would also Google rose pruning. If I remember rightly, you cut back to the 2nd bud. Roses should always be pruned hard, in other words, right back and will then grow back quickly. This will also help control pests.