What's eating my Marigolds?
Snailspace
Posts: 4
in Plants
I've planted quite a number of Marigolds in my front border and gradually they are being eaten one by one. The middle of the stem is keeled over half way down whether that plant has a flower on or bud. It is not slugs or snails as there is NO evidence of them and reluctantly I have put a few pellets down. No slug trail. Please can anyone advise?
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Hi Snailspace. Do you have any wood pigeons where you are? They will peck at anything.
Yes we do, but oddly only in the back garden where the bird feeders are. I've never seen them on the front garden. It has to be something small as the tiny stems are eaten halfway down and the flower keels over. Thank you for your response.
Still sounds like mollluscs to me. Even tiny ones, that are hard to spot, can cause that sort of damage.
Earwigs did for my marigolds last year.
That's very interesting plant pauper, it's certainly something of that size. Again no sign! What we do have however, is ants and I'm wondering if that's a possibility. It's the first message I've put up here and it's great to have responses. Thank you to you all.
Hi Snailspace, it does sound like slugs/snails to me. They are currently launching their annual campaign of destruction in my garden. Certain plants seem to attract them like magnets. Delphiniums and lupins are among the favourites though I've got some damage to a clematis now too. Molluscs are the scourge of gardeners but I still refuse to use poison.