What to grow?

I give up. Just begun going through the Show Auriculas and I reckon every one is rootless because of Vine weevils. I cannot afford to throw them all away and start again. I cannot afford to throw away all that compost and re=pot. I am totally fed up so I am thinking of throwing them all away and growing something else.Supposedly all these had a very expensive treatment against Vine weevil. Does not seem to have worked.
Suggestions (must be vine weevil proof, so no Hostas, Saxifrages, Cyclamen, Epimedium etc.)appreciated.
Or dismantle the theatre and give the wood to neighbour as kindling.

 

How about Pelargoniums @Palustris ...there's some cracking varieties.

 

Are they attacked by vine weevil grubs?

 

I've not had that problem 'thus far'..the hardest thing to me is over wintering them as they are prone to Botritis if they don't have sufficient ventilation.

 

Hi,

Thats a real shame !

What was the expensive treatment you had - nematodes ?

Not sure how big your pots are or how many you have, but a bit surprised that they have all been affected together ?
Also surpised you had not seen any adults crawling about or leaving their typical chew marks on the leaves ?

Have , so far, fingers crossed, only had minor problems with them and seem to have sucessfully treated the grubs by thoroughly drenching the pots in Provado Vine Weevil Killer.

Have the tops of your Auriculas become very wilted, is there any chance you could re-root them with some bottom heat.

Would suggest your compost should be bagged and taken to the tip as if they have grubs there will be more eggs as well, surely new compost will be cheaper than any possible treatment, which generally only affect the grubs not the eggs.

 

The treatment is a fungus which is supposed to kill the grubs. I may have not used it correctly as a friend who also got some reports that it has worked well for her. £30 for enough to do 60 litres of compost.
Pots are 6 inch ones. There are 80 of them on the Theatre. Despite careful checking we have actually only found 1 adult over the summer. We think the garden is infested though as all the rhododendrons have notched leaves.
Most of the plants have enough left to re-pot. No heat available, not even got a green house here (yet!).

 

Hi @Palustris are these the same plants that seemed to have root aphids?

 

No, the root aphids are in the seedling ones, not my show plants.......so far.

 

I have to admit, this has got me puzzled. You had problems with various root pests back in 2007. Generally speaking I am not one for lots of chemicals in the garden or GH. In the latter if pushed, I will resort to an old time favourite. Methelated spirit.

For you to be bugged by similar problems over the years. Have you examined the compost you use. Do you stick with the same supplier. Do you mix your own? Is there a spot in your garden that has become a breeding factory for root aphids? Let's hope you get it sorted.

 

Tried every compost on offer. Changed gardens as well.

 

A mate of mine who has been growing Auriculas for years, has also suggested just drenching in Provado, as I think Ricky said.
He seems to think this is a really bad time of the year to be washing the roots off and repotting, but if you feel you must, he suggests using silver sand on the roots before repotting in fresh compost to stop the fibrous roots sticking together.

I cant think its a problem with the compost you used, just somehow they have got in there during the summer months.

My mate also says that Provado vine weevil killer is not readily avilible anymore, apparently he bought loads of it a while back, although Provado, as a name, is still around it its just a general insecticide not specific to vine weevils.
If you can find some it will sort out the root aphids as well on the seedlings.

 

I did much the same, but used it all up in an attempt to avoid bringing the weevils with me when we moved.
Has anyone tried the Scott's Bug Clear Ultra vine Weevil Insecticide? I have some plants soaking in it at present, but I dropped a grub in some of it and it continued to wriggle until I got fed up waiting for it to die and stamped on it instead. Not sure if it works.
Talked to a neighbour yesterday. He said that these gardens are riddled with vine weevils. He has had to stop growing Primulas, Begonias and Fuchsias as bedding plants as they all finished up rootless.
Next question, has anyone ever seen the grubs in Dianthus roots?

 

Have you tried SMOKES?

 

I found a good bit on the internet at Progreen.co.uk

May be of some help. I have to admit. This matter has got me foxed.

 

I'm assuming we are talking containerised plants and not garden plants?

Never found a problem with vine weevil on plants growing in the ground.