Something eating my crop

56K Natas · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 8:44 pm Post subject: Something eating my crop

Hey all I'm a total novice on here and in the garden but have gotten the bug big time.
A few months ago I got a 30x15 foot polytunnel put up,
It was up for about a month and a half before I got the time to do anything inside it.
By the time I got started weeds had started to grow inside it every where.
I started off by putting in raised beds down one side of it and planting in them,
Then over the next month or so started pulling all the weeds up, putting in a weed block and covering it with gravel.
As I was doing this I noticed that there was a lot of grasshoppers in the polytunnel but as they didn't seem to be causing and harm I left them be.
Now that all the weeds are gone I think the grasshoppers have started to eat my veg as all the weeds they were eating are gone.
Could this be right or should I be looking for something else thats doing it ?
What ever it is is eating bits of the leaves of what I'm growing,
I have had a good look around in there and can't seem to find any thing else that could be doing it.
Also if it is them how would I go about getting rid of them.

sillydad · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 9:00 pm Post subject:

Grasshoppers ? sounds like slugs to me get your torch out and have a look after dark or before dawn or pay some one too get up if the 56k it is your salary Laughing

http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about100.html

michael brenock · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 9:10 pm Post subject:

slugs or snails I think would be the most likely offenders. If you pulled the weeds and left them lying there then this provides shelter. Any young emerging seedlings would be very attractive to slugs. Grasshoppers or any other flies very unlikely.Grubs of some moths flies or butterflies could be responsible. Check in the darkness and look under any shelter that might be present especially along the moister areas.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

56K Natas · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 9:26 pm Post subject:

56k a year I wish Laughing

I didn't leave any weeds in there after pulling them up, what ever it is it's eating mature plants, lettice, redish, cabbage everything and it all started after I pulled the weeds so just though it might of been the grass hoppers. I take it from the reply grasshoppers don't eat plants ?
I'll have a look with a torch some night for slugs and let ye know

walltoall

Listen to what they are telling you ... S L U G S Worldwide there are about 20,000 types of grasshopper and most are vegetarian. Ireland has 2 types although, believe it or not the county of my birth, Waterford, records 6 types. Of the 20,000 worldwide about 10 do serious crop damage by swarming. The best known is the locust. Now if you have locusts you should get a sign out fast and charge people to get in, cause you have discovered a truly remarkable niche market in tourism.

sillydad · Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 12:19 am Post subject:

walltoall funny thing is john mullane always reminded me of grass hopper !!!!!!!! Mr. Green

walltoall · Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 7:10 am Post subject: grasshoppers

My regards to West Cork. I used to do spectator control on the rally from 1977 to 1985 and I love every road. Now I'm a long way from Clon and also a long way from the Decies. Please don't bring up 2008. I was in Croker in 1967. My own dad played right full forward for DeLaSalle 1929/30 while teacher training but he was not nearly as big as lad as Mullane. He was known then as Beach de Bhál and of course beach is Irish for BEE.