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Could anyone please offer me some advice.

I remember as a child these being reallly easy to grow so I've started some this year to use as cut flowers for work.

Background: I have sandy but moist, slightly accidic soil, I dug a small amount of very well rotted manure into the bed before planting, they're not over shadowed and recieve full sun.

Problem: They're just not growing and they've got lots of little holes in the leaves that are rimmed with white. New leaves slowly grow but then they too soon look like lace. It's as if they're struggling to stay alive while they're being eaten. But I'm not ever sure if they are being eaten!

I thought I might have slugs/snails so I've shorn the grass surrounding the bed really short so they have no where to hide. I've carefully picked over the soil in case they're hiding in the bed but couldn't find any. Oh, and I've ringed the bed with coffee grounds as I've heard slugs/snails don't like them in the hope that will keep them out.

Any advice will be greatfully recieved. Thanks.

Hi,

I can only sympathise! My mum used to grow them for years when we lived in Yorkshire but when we moved to Leicestershire she had exactly the same problems. In the end she gave it up as a bad job.

I've just sown some sweet pea seeds myself so I'll let you know how they get on. They are in full sun for most of the day (until early evening) and in a new mix of compost, peat (yes, I know - I'm looking for alternatives) and vermiculite.

Seedlings just starting to show so I'll let you know how they get on.

Well, it's not slugs - they wouldn't leave you with holes rimmed with white in the leaves. You'd just have no leaves. But it certainly sounds like some kind of insect infestation. I'd have a really close look at one of the leaves, because my immediate reaction was leaf miner - the leaves are being attacked from the inside. If the plants get the chance, you might see the tell-tale trails - but this sounds as if it's a very early attack, so the plants aren't going to reach the kind of size where these things become apparent.

Or - an afterthought - it's ants doing the deed and then running away.

Mine have always thrived on neglect...I have some at the moment that need planting out or at least potting on, they are abandoned in 5" pots in the (open) cold frame and are huge, sprawling everywhere and flowering. I have never given mine any special attention and even up here (Shetland) they have grown well. Maybe you are being too nice to them!