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Cutting down VineWeavol Hidy Holes.

11 comments


Hi all It’s me again. I suppose most of you have suffered like me with the dreaded VW. in pots. One way I have used, and used again since I have started gardeing again is a very simple and I think has been effective way.
Usually just before filling pots we put drainage bits in the pot. This is were I do something different, All I do is to put a small piece of paper over the holes. No need to be precise or neat, just plop it in. Even if I am doing loads of potting up I do the same to every pot. Now the reason I do this is to keep the compost in the pot, and not get washed out when watering . This keeps the bottom of the pot without any hiding plaices for the adults to hide. It doesn’t make the pots waterlogged because the paper lets water through, either way,out at the bottom or in at the bottom if watering by standing pots in water.
The roots will still grow through the paper, making it even more difficult for the adult V.W. to hide. I’m sure I have not lost a plant because of only useing paper for drainage. Here’s some photo’s to show what I mean. you will notice that the paper has vertually rotted and the roots are completely flat like the bottom of the pot and without any hidy holes.


I thought I’d show you another little thing I do on this last photo. The top of the pots are covered with something called hortag (i think thats how you spell it) This is a different brand than I used before. The one I used In the past sank in water and was great to put in pond baskets as a growing medium for pond plants. With this brand when I used it and lowered it into the pond , to my horrer it floated back to the surface. What a cleanup job that was. Any way some time passed , and this was just stored out of the way. The few potted plants that I had at the time looked messy, when the tops of pots got green with moss. Then I had one of those idea momments What if I covered the top of the pot with hortag.That pot and plant have been together for at least 3years and there is now sign of moss. This is because every time it has been watered the hortag rises and falls with the water.It repositions itself every time. If I watered this pot now the hortag would spread all over the pot. I do the same with the hortag that sinks and the green moss grows as usuall and the pots look messy,Because the compost comes through the hortag, because it doesn’t move when watered.
Hope this has been useful to someone. Frank

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Comments

 

I have always put newspaper in the bottom of my pots its just something I always do I must have read it somewhere it does work.

21 Oct, 2009

 

Well thanks for that it never occured to me, I hope Jonathan and Muddiwellies see this as they have both asked what to put in pots to avoid the weight.

21 Oct, 2009

 

Thanks Frank, will have to remember this tip especially for my Hosta`s, they really suffered this year and that darned weevil was the cause......

21 Oct, 2009

 

Some very useful information Frank - thank you. Sometimes I loose my fuchsias to Vine weevils, - horrible things !

21 Oct, 2009

 

Thanks again Frank for more good ideas. I used to put newspaper in the bottom of pots when I had no crocks but it never occurred to me that it would be a useful deterrent to weevil. will start doing it again. The hortag sounds a good idea for long term potted plants as well. Keep the ideas coming Frank

21 Oct, 2009

 

Thanks Frank I use old bits of broken pot and crock but I will try the paper it sounds a better idea.

21 Oct, 2009

 

Two good ideas there Frank, I shall certainly use the paper. I've never heard of hortag, do you get it in garden centres? Itsounds like just the job for some of my pots. Thanks for the tips.

22 Oct, 2009

 

Thanks for the tip - I also get them in my strawberry pot which has loads of holes at the bottom - so i think a retry next year using paper is in order - thanks!!!

22 Oct, 2009

 

Hi lily2, Yes Hortag is sold in GC. I'm not sure if that is the correct spelling. the GCs used to use it to put on their staging to keep moisture there. Now they use some sort of cloth, not sure what it is called. Like I said though when I bought the first bag, it did sink this wasn't any good for keeping pots neat. The moss grew through it. The second lot I bought, although Ididn't know it floated. When I started to use this on the top of the pot I noticed how much better the pots looked without any moss all around the top of the pots. It was one of those lucky flukes. I should mention, when I went to buy some more recently it cost too much for me to buy. and there is no way of knowing which one the G Cs will be selling. The smaller type off Hortag (small pea size) sinks. The larger (just smaller than a 5p) is the one that floats.
And to everyone. All though I haven't seen many adult VW I have had some grubs in one or two pots, but not half as many as I used to get.........Frank

22 Oct, 2009

 

Good tip Frank, thank you. I have had the dreaded VW this year too.....

22 Oct, 2009

 

great addvice frank will try this when i pot my plants up next,

22 Oct, 2009

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