Gransnet forums

Gardening

My beautiful gladioli buds are gone

(17 Posts)
BlueBelle Sun 05-May-24 15:59:35

Just that as the title says this morning I found the big buds on at least 3/4 gladioli are gone and there’s chunks out of the stalks
Now I have a completely enclosed 6 foot fence all round main road garden and no wildlife at all No foxes/ deer/ squirrels It’s either a pigeon or snail/slugs it’s never happened before
What do you think ?
The chunks out of the stalks on the way up points to snails / slugs I think !!!
So disappointing I had a lovely show last year

Mizuna Sun 05-May-24 16:06:19

Any chance of a photo? The pigeons here peck the leaves not stalks and leave plenty of droppings wherever they go.

Whitewavemark2 Sun 05-May-24 16:07:26

I haven’t planted mine yet! Is it too late do you think?

Callistemon21 Sun 05-May-24 16:12:33

Are you sure there aren't squirrels around? They can climb, a 6ft fence would be no problem at all.

They've eaten my tulips.

Curtaintwitcher Sun 05-May-24 16:30:57

Could be pigeons, they seem to eat anything. I once had a huge flock of starlings descend on my elder bush and devour all the elderberries in just a few minutes. Gone were my plans for making elderberry wine!

BlueBelle Sun 05-May-24 17:17:15

It s definitely not squirrels I ve lived here 40 years and spent my childhood here too, never ever seen a squirrel
I have noticed a pair of pigeons in my tree which haven’t visited before I m beginning to think they are the culprits
Anyone got a catapult ?

Mizuna Sun 05-May-24 18:25:21

Thanks for the photos. If it's pigeons you should see bits of the leaves that have dropped off as they pecked. They jab at leaves and aren't as 'tidy' as slugs. Well, this is Cornish pigeons anyway. 😊

AskAlice Sun 05-May-24 18:38:33

Looks like slug damage to me. As Mizuna said, if it were pigeons pecking at them I would expect to see bits of leaves dropped around the plants, which is what I see when they have a feast on my brassica plants!

Septimia Sun 05-May-24 18:43:23

Pheasants? They love eating the flowers - especially the colourful ones - off graves in our churchyard.

Callistemon21 Sun 05-May-24 19:41:18

The pigeons were having a feast on the weeds around the raspberry canes the other day, really enjoying them.

It's been weeded since.

BlueBelle Sun 05-May-24 20:06:59

Ahh thanks probably is slugs/ snails then such big holes little buggers as I haven’t seen any bits on the ground

no, no pheasants here septima as I said I m on a main road through a town, no wild birds around except the small ones sparrows blackbirds starlings plus an occasional tit or wren plus seagulls and pigeons
Thanks I ll have to rethink for next year

nanaK54 Sun 05-May-24 20:13:05

Agree slugs (or bloody buggering slugs as they are known here)

Jaxjacky Sun 05-May-24 20:17:02

Slugs are nasty destructive things that sneak in when youre either not looking or asleep, gutting BlueBelle

Esmay Sun 05-May-24 22:28:13

Looks like slug or snail damage to me .
They love tender leaves and stems .
My Iris have suffered this year .
I've tried some natural deterrents and they were a waste of money .
I used to pick off every slug and snail and squash them dead and put them on a bird feeding tray .
But I was ringing the dinner bell for my neighbour's four cats .
I'm trying garlic spray at the moment .

valdavi Sun 05-May-24 22:39:15

Looks like slugs. We used to be plagued by them, but since my last cat died we have so many garden birds & proportionately less slug damage. When I find them I just throw them into the middle of the lawn far from shelter & rely on the birds picking them off.

vegansrock Mon 06-May-24 09:01:17

It’s been so wet recently that the slugs/ snails have had a field day. They ate all my daffodil flowers.

lixy Mon 06-May-24 09:08:44

Looks like the damage slugs have inflicted on my rhubarb; some leaves are like lace and stalks have been rasped as well. Pesky slimy things.