Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
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Quote from GillyPL on 3rd September 2024, 11:49 am
I read an earlier post and answer about nepeta and it was said it was slug proof - slugs have grazed mine right down to base 3 times this year! However, I’ve since resurrected the plant and it’s growing well in a large pot but the flower heads are being nipped out and left on the ground. Thought it was a neighbour’s cat, and it was at first, but he ripped loads of the plant out. We raised the plant up high, and have covered it in wire mesh - although it’s large gauge mesh. It’s still getting the flower buds nipped off, and some leaves. Nepeta apparently deters rodents so pretty sure it isn’t mice doing it - sparrows? We have lots of sparrows. We love the plant but it’s now become a nightmare to keep it growing
I read an earlier post and answer about nepeta and it was said it was slug proof - slugs have grazed mine right down to base 3 times this year! However, I’ve since resurrected the plant and it’s growing well in a large pot but the flower heads are being nipped out and left on the ground. Thought it was a neighbour’s cat, and it was at first, but he ripped loads of the plant out. We raised the plant up high, and have covered it in wire mesh - although it’s large gauge mesh. It’s still getting the flower buds nipped off, and some leaves. Nepeta apparently deters rodents so pretty sure it isn’t mice doing it - sparrows? We have lots of sparrows. We love the plant but it’s now become a nightmare to keep it growing
Thanks for your question; this is rather strange as slugs are usually repelled by the Cirtris scent of Nepeta. However, with any young or small plants, these are prime fodder for slugs as they have yet to build up enough stamina to withstand the attacks. Slugs and snails always pick young juvenile foliage, which is easier to eat, and this often means that scented plants have less time to have enough of the oils in them to repel them on scent alone.
It probably is the sparrows picking off the flowers and looking for seeds.
Don't be deterred, though. Maybe Nepeta is just a plant that isn't going to work for you; try Perovskia instead for a similar-scented plant! I have plants that I can't grow easily here at Garden Ninja HQ, but the beauty of gardening is having 369,000 plant species to choose from when one doesn't work! Don't fight Mother Nature; work with her and switch things up!
Thanks for your question; this is rather strange as slugs are usually repelled by the Cirtris scent of Nepeta. However, with any young or small plants, these are prime fodder for slugs as they have yet to build up enough stamina to withstand the attacks. Slugs and snails always pick young juvenile foliage, which is easier to eat, and this often means that scented plants have less time to have enough of the oils in them to repel them on scent alone.
It probably is the sparrows picking off the flowers and looking for seeds.
Don't be deterred, though. Maybe Nepeta is just a plant that isn't going to work for you; try Perovskia instead for a similar-scented plant! I have plants that I can't grow easily here at Garden Ninja HQ, but the beauty of gardening is having 369,000 plant species to choose from when one doesn't work! Don't fight Mother Nature; work with her and switch things up!
Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
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