Blue substance in soil

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

I have been digging over some ground at the bottom of our garden and came across some bright blue substance in the soil - apologies for the quaility of the photo taken on my phone.

It's only a small patch, but, any guesses on what it might be? Copper sulphate? I have removed it and tried not to get it mixed in with the bit I am digging over. Seems to be an isolated patch.

[Two_Sheds]

See, this is why No-Dig is recommended: so you don't find things like this !

[rustylady]

I wouldn't have thought so. As I remember from chemistry lessons copper sulphate is soluble in water so it's unlikely to have stayed as powder in your soil.

[veggiechicken]

My guess - there was a copper nail or coin there. I wouldn't worry about it. If you find more, you may have found a hoard

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

Think VC might have hit the er, nail on the head. Quite a bit of debris at this end.

I have a lot of cardboard down for no dig and will be doing some non dug mounds for my squashes etc, I just really want to grow some roots. We only moved here mid December so all a bit haywire - not going to try and do too much though!

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

I also found this chubby fella:



Hopefully there is not a team of these under the main lawn

[Two_Sheds]

^ chafer grub


Throw him for the birds.


They're v.common on uncultivated land, esp grass/lawn. They'll not be problem once you start working the ground

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

Of course, a Robin and Blackbird hang around expectantly when I am at the bottom of the garden. The blackbird had a lot of fun with that. I found a couple of smaller specimens after and chucked them on the path - sure enough Mr Robin swooped in and gobbled them