Winter?

[redcrx]

I wonder if the bugs and slugs will be incredible this coming season since this weather isn't killing them. I found a slug wandering around yesterday. The chickweed has never been healthier. I still have a couple of live flowers on my Encore Azaleas - now I can't tell if they are late or early. And a couple of other azaleas tried to open a bud. There was a flock of Robins on my lawn the other day hunting worms. This is usually a sign of Spring.

[Chris_W]

You are probably right. I would imagine that if the slugs stay active they could continue to breed and lay eggs. If you are seeing them you might want to use some slug bait now.

I also wonder if the mild winter will affect the hostas. Usually a really long, cold winter will give you larger and fatter dormant buds which then give larger eyes. This sure hasn't been much of a winter...

[NancyL]

Chris - I agree about the winters and better buds. Even though my hostas that I grow in the UP of MI have been in many less years (Zone 4) they are growing much faster than the ones I have in MD (Zone 6). I just hope they get some snow in the UP because the plant losses are higher without an insulating blanket of snow. Doesn't bother the hostas though.

[thy]

Chris why do you think they grow fatter buds in a very cold winther ?
Looking forewards to hear, how they are in the spring.

With normally rather warm winthers I will say it is mostly about the amount of rain in the fall and the spring - at least mine didn't grow that good after last very cold winther with a foot or more of snow - but hardly no rain in the fall and spring

Last week I had a hyasinthiana blooming in the garden and the winther blooming cherry tree was loveky, - now we have frost for the first time this winther.

I agree about some slugbaits - but sometimes the experts tell us we will have a lot of bugs next summer due to a warm winther and some time they are right and sometimes they are wrong - can't give you any reason, but cold winthers do not kill slug eggs at all. Even the Iberian slug coming up from Spain in the last years- southern Europe, can survive in the frozen areas of northern Norway and Sweeden, they ar tuff

[Angel3K]

Zone 5 here in Ottawa. All my hosta are buried under snow in my backyard. It is mild as well, we got like -1C this week, so it thawed a little bit.

I have not seen any slugs wondering in the snow, but i hope this milder winter kill the eggs.
Chris: do you think the snow cover killed slug eggs, or they are like a blanket protecting them?

I recalled last year that I have Captain Kirk, sunburned in the summer sun, and in the night, my Captain Kirk was attacked by slugs. Yah, I know double trouble. I tried handpicking them, I have a small garden.



Thanks.

Angie

[Chris_W]

Chris why do you think they grow fatter buds in a very cold winther ?

It might just be the amount of time that they stay dormant, or need to stay dormant. Plants like Elegans go dormant early and wake up late, and they really seem to benefit from longer winter. The longer they are, the larger their dormant buds seem to be the next spring.

Chris: do you think the snow cover killed slug eggs, or they are like a blanket protecting them?

Slug eggs can survive just about anything and aren't really bothered by cold or snow. The might dry out if not covered, but the slugs seem to know that and hide them well, and yes, the snow might help to insulate them. I've been thinking that slugs and bugs will be really bad this spring since the winter has been so mild here.

[isadora]

unfortunately I've seen slugs all this winter, but not any big ones. It has never really gotten cold in SW Missouri this year so who knows what will happen with "spring"? Lots of spring bulbs blooming and a few early perennials along with early wildflowers, which, incidentally, are right on time with their bloom cycle. The robins don't fly south here, they just go deep into the woods, but they are out and about. The weather is becoming very different, it seems that our gardening may change in ways we haven't been able to forsee.

[thy]

Elegans only have one flush of new leaves, think it makes a differnece too.
I would expect a dormant plant to be just plain dormant, but ...?

They do not have to be that late or early. I had them in full shade, then moved oneto rater much shade, then I moved the other one to all afternoon sun and it was happy, came up as one of the first and got lovely yellow long time standing leaves rather late in the season and more vax

Now will be a good time for you to bring out the first slugh baiths. Now you only have to fight a few slugs, if you wait a month or more you will have all their kids and grandkids too.
Pia