Things you don't want to see in your polytunnel......

[bario1]

@sda are selling some great looking aubergine, chilli and pepper plants at the moment for £3.50.

I bought an aubergine to see how it does - it's 3 times the size of mine grown from seed.

[marchogaeth]

It's a very long way for me to the nearest @sd@ but thanks for the heads up. They are flowering now, I'll get at least one fruit if only for the seed.

[vixylix]

Earwigs?? The b****rs are really sneaky and positively refuse any offer of an upturned yogurt pot (large), stuffed with newspaper on a stick as proffered by Bunny Guiness or some such as a solution!!

Interesting! I've had problems with something eating pretty much every leaf in sight... I assumed caterpillars but couldnt find any. We do have loads of earwigs scuttling round the decking every time I move a pot though so they could be the culprit?! Never even thought of them!

Could they get into the raised bed though? Its 3 railway sleepers high?

Any good tips for getting rid?

[marchogaeth]

Could they get into the raised bed though? Its 3 railway sleepers high?

Definitely. The only thing I find works is to reduce their habitat opportunities in the tunnel. I know this link is for children but it say it all really.

I remove all rotting/dead material, keep moisture levels low and cut them in half if I find any - usually under pots sitting on the soil.

[Thelma Sanders]

I definitely didn't want to see the biggest of my peppers - the getting ripe one - on the soil cos something had eater through the stem.

No slime about, so not sure who the culprit is, little barsteward whatever it was.
*mutter grumble*

[marchogaeth]

I definitely didn't want to see the biggest of my peppers - the getting ripe one - on the soil cos something had eater through the stem.

No slime about, so not sure who the culprit is, little barsteward whatever it was.
*mutter grumble*

That's an empathetic like. I've had slugs move in as babies and then sort of live inside the pepper or aubergine apparently happily growing away before emerging Alien like and disappearing off to try and eat everything else (Alien II). Could you have suffered from that - it explains no trails?

[Thelma Sanders]

There were no holes in the pepper, and it was cut and roasted with no sign of nasties inside.

Whatever it was just ate through the stem

[marchogaeth]

There were no holes in the pepper, and it was cut and roasted with no sign of nasties inside.

Whatever it was just ate through the stem

Sorry, I wondered if a slug had got in the stem. Glad it was still usable even if you might have preferred it red.