Containers = Vine Weevil

Er Indoors and I started our gardening quest with containers about 15 years ago. All sorts just keeled over, wouldn't over winter, didn't thrive. The piece de resistance, apologies to our French viewers, was a little lemon tree. The leaves started to curl in warm weather, but would unroll in the cool of the evening. Eventually they fell off. In desparation I had a look at the roots. What are those big maggots????? VINE WEEVIL. Never heard of it!! Replanting in fresh "treated" compost, and THREE years later we have a little Lemon tree again.
The moral is simply be aware of vine weevil in containers. Specially those you overwinter in heated conditions. The beetle eats round holes in leaves and the maggot overwinters in your pots, eating roots and soft stems and emerges in the spring as a beetle, which lays eggs in your pots etc etc.
Treating with Provado in Spring, Midsummer, and Autumn seems to do the trick.
Nik

 

A more organic methond is with nematodes. I got this link from Lynn way back in June.

http://www.defenders.co.uk/vine_weevil_control.htm

 

Oh that so struck a chord - I too had never heard of them til container plants started failing - and then I too found those white grubs.

Tried both provado and nematodes, and both work very well. Anyone who does not apply one or t'other spring and autumn is tempting providence. I can tolerate the adults eating the leaves, but the larval root eating stage, can kill the most established plant. Even the birds don't eat them - (I spread them on the bird table to see :D )

 

I can treat my plants in containers or those grown on in pots, but do either provado or the nematodes work in beds ? - the adults seem paticularly partial to my rhodies and azaleas and the grubs just love my primulas

 

Absolutely!

 

I've not tried nematodes against vine weevil, but I swear by them to control slugs in the Spring. On the strength of the above reccomendations I will try them next year.
Nik

 

Blooming eck! I am brand new to this forum and to gardening and in the half a day I've been on here I've learnt loads! Many thanks to you all. Must sort myself out an avatar...

(Nematodes, eh?.....)

 

Welcome Lilith, and enjoy - tis a great place.

[ 15. October 2005, 05:56 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

Provado & nematodes work fine but for sheer satisfaction you cant beat rummaging through the roots when potting on, & squishing the little blighters. :D
I would suggest the wearing of safety glasses and the keeping shut of ones mouth as the heads can shoot off for quite some distance.
(learned through bitter experience)

 

Eeeeewwwww don't!!!!!
My pots were riddled with them a couple of weeks ago and I treated with Pravado. Trouble is I had a rummage to see that it had worked today and found live grubs.SHouldn't it have worked by now? Now I'm at a loss as to what to do. I will buy nematodes next year once the weather warms up but until them looks like I'm stuck. Wil just have to squash em all (with my eyes and mouth shut of course!!!!!!!!)

 

If you've treated with Pravado, it will kick in and deals with whitefly too in the greenhouse as its a systemic - but yes, checking containers now and removing any seen should be done too. Fortunately they quite often nestle in the compost close to the container wall.