Heuchera and Vine Weevil

I am so annoyed! Last year I had some fab different types of heuchera which I love and I thought they looked great. Had various troughs on the side wall and some trailing types in baskets.



At the end of Summer I noticed blimmin vine weevil had attacked so had to get rid of a load (had already taken cutting etc so was ok) A few were fine and no sign of attack.

Today - checked a couple that had been o.k. over winter and got some fresh growth - one pulled out easily and found more blimmin vine weevil. I'm so annoyed. I feel like giving up with them - it seems they are all destined to get vine weevil whatever I do to prevent them.

Just wondering if anyone else has got any suggestions for another type of pretty plant which is also ever green that I could grow in the troughs? I want them to be bug resistant. I'm just so annoyed as Heucheras are my fav but seems like they're just not meant to be in my garden :(

 

Have you tried the vine weevil nematode?

 

@Snorky85 beautiful area and how it's done...just it

 

Snorky, dont give up on them.
Yes, agree with nematodes or you can use a chemical like Provado.......nematodes preferably and now is a good time
However, culturally you can change a couple of things......use john innes instead of mpc. Vine weevils love mpc. I never use mpc for heucheras in containers now and found weevil damage very rare now because of it. Secondly, top dress with grit or gravel. It works ...well, it does for me. Avoid getting the compost too wet too. Also, "test" heucheras for weevil damage by tugging slightly at them. If they lift the blighters have gotten hold.....so, wash the roots, search the compost for grubs and replant in fresh compost. During the growing season keep an eye out for the adult weevils and squash them....often seen crawling up walls at night. This helps control the cycle and reduces volumes
If you treat in spring and again in autumn with nematodes or Provado your heucheras will thrive

 

I used , Bug clear vine weevil killer , on my Begonia tubers last year . The ones I have planted up this year seem OK - so far.

 

I didn't know such thing existed! Yay! I tried the slug nematodes in the past and didnt get such a good result. Might test some with the chemical and some with nematodes?!

Def going to try he john innes and grit as @Verdun suggests.

Let me know how you get on @HarryS. My only hesistation of using the chemicals is that I'm trying to promote frogs in the garden and dont want to harm them. Also saying that-i dont think i'll get frogs up on the wall there!

Thanks @Gail_68 i dont think i had the half moon shaped hanging baskets up in that piccy. Even the hanging basket ones got the blimmin weevils.

Thanks for the advice everyone-I'm not going to give up just yet!

 

I had my Begonia tubers potted up last March in my office . This is how I noted the Vine Weevils . Kept finding one or two on the walls . Found one downstairs on the front door, and one in the downstairs shower-room ! Luckily I managed to find them all before Mrs H ! I applied the Vine Weevil killer as instructed , early and then in the Autumn . Look OK so far . When I store the tubers in autumn I also dust with sulpher powder.

 

I was convinced a few years ago that mpc encouraged the breeding of vine weevils. Also noted what plants were more susceptible....fuchsias, primulas, heucheras etc.....and I now see far less damage. Plenty of those plants in the garden and, touch wood, they all seem fine

 

Hi,

Have also found the modern Heucheras to be a very attractive plants that do well in the shade and sun, plus am a great fan of Fuchsias, but have always used MPC, but the above comments made me think again about using JI for both outside tubs/pots of both and Fuchsias in the greenhouse?

Have bought some JI before but find the quality very variable, some brands more sand than anything else.

Any recommendations as to the good brands and if I should be using JI no2 or no3 ?

thanks

 

I was wondering the same actually. I assumed JI no3 and found the cheapest to be the Westland brand from Homebase at 5.50/30L (£0.18 per litre) (just been doing a price comparison. @Verdun what brand do you use?

 

JI.....the essential difference between numbers one, two and three is the amount of fertiliser. For most long term plants in pots number 3 is best. For plants not needing high fertiliser then use 1 or 2.
Levington and Westland are two I use.
JI has the advantage of being heavy thus stabilising plastic pot planting; it dries out less quickly than mpc and re wets more easily
Of course, you can adapt Ji to suit various plants' needs by adding grit, perlite or even dried manure/ chicken pellets

Just noticed Snorky saying she might use nematodes AND chemicals to control weevils; its better to use one OR the other. However, if used judiciously, i.e. Chemicals used in winter only and nematodes used in spring through to early autumn they could be used in tandem (nematodes are only effective in the warmer months) If nematodes were used twice a year there should be no need for chemicals

 

Hi @Snorky85 weather you had the baskets or not mate...the area alone is done very nicely

 

Yep, I've heard wondrous stories about the nematodes that I mentioned above. This is because you are watering it in a smaller area with pots than slugs and the entirety of beds. Also, more recent advice possibly from Verdun in another thread reminded me how much they love the texture of MPC. Avoid chemicals if you can because the weevil will crawl away to die and could be picked up by a natural predator.. as well as the bees directly from the spray residue. Thankfully it's one pest I don't have to deal with here.. yet..

 

JI Compost No 3 purchased and vine weevil nematodes and grit purchased online.