[dead eye dave]

Hi
I have planted a few blackcurrant bushes in very large pots, alongside some redcurrants and blackberries. They had several small leave sprouting form the main trunk when I planted them, only to discover this morning that the have all dissappeared..... mainly form the blackcurrant bushes, the other ones appear somewhat untouched.

Whats eating them?? I fear it may be the birds as there are no signs of pests......(and my hosta shoots have also been attacked...) Can anyone shed any light? Do I need to cover them?

Much obliged for any advice on this mystery

[Trillium]

I had that same problem a number of years ago and not only did  whatever eat the leaves, it ate all the flower buds  I never did discover what ate it but was told any variety of caterpillar would eat them as well as slugs. Whatever it was was incredibly sneaky as I never did find it.

The plants should continue to put out more leaf buds but have a very close look at every plant for any telltale signs of poop from caterpillars, or egg clusters, or slug/snail trails.  Spray well with a safe product and net tight to the soil.

[dead eye dave]

Thats helpful thanks, I'll definately note that for the future, but I really dont think it is caterpillars as I am in the veyr cold west of Scotland and we are only very slowly emerging form an extended cold snap, follwoed this week by more snow and cold, so I havent seen many bugs around at all...but will go and have a better look now and see what I come up with......

Am also going to get some netting, thanks for the tip....

[Trillium]

The netting will definitely help because birds absolutely love currants, moreso the red because of its colour, but they'll also find the black. In your area with not quite as much fruit as the south would have, you'll be a bird magnet 

And if you don't find any insect damage, then yes, it possibly could be birds looking for fresh greens, and I'm guessing most likely pigeons who particularly love young greens.

[realfood]

Small birds such as tits, sometimes attack the buds on fruit bushes. It used to be common practice to festoon fruit bushes with black tread to stop the birds. It may be a problem this year because of the very long period of frost and snow that we have had this year.

[Trikidiki]

Bullfinches are notorious for stripping buds from fruit trees.

We ahd a pair in the garden for the first time this year. Hope the apples are ok.

[JayG]

As Trikidiki says bullfinches are probably the worst offenders for bud-eating, followed by tits; I've also seen sparrows nibbling runner bean flowers seemingly "just for fun".

Don't know whether birds have a liking for hostas too but of course slugs are the best known pest of hostas and the young growth is the tastiest (slugs are also very partial to delphinium shoots I have found!)

[DavidT]

If not birds, then it`s likely to be Keel slugs. They live in the soil, come out to feed at night and are back in the soil by sunup.

[Digger Tom]

 Slugs

[dead eye dave]

Thanks everyone

I didnt know about Keel slugs...now I do and shall prepare for them.......however it wasnt them that trashed my bushes........

The culprits were a pair of nesting wood pigeons that I had been admiring in the garden for the last four weeks, beautiful grey things with black and white bits.....and a penchant for tearing up hostas and blackcurrant bushes as I witnessed this very morning when i was up bright ane early...........

Im building a scarecrow and buying some serious netting!