Pest or bulbs?

Discussion in 'Pests, Diseases and Cures' started by Liz, Nov 30, 2006.

  1. Liz

    Liz Gardener

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    I spent most of the afternoon clearing out and replanting a big oblong container. It had lilies from my Auntie and various bulbs, mainly daffodils. My auntie's lilies had lily beetle which isn't common round here so I thought I'd change the soil completely.
    I found that the lily bulbs have not increased in size very much but there are large numbers of tiny bulbs. I didn't have my glasses on as I have not yet got used to needing them other than for reading, and spent a trying time fishing out little lily bulbs and vine weevil larvae. They looked so alike that in the end I just put them on the paving and left the birds to sort out the larvae.
    I found two lily beetles and left the soil spread out in the hope that the birds will eat any lily beetle larvae, which are vey hard to spot as they are about the size of rice grains and dark coloured: I only know I've got it right if I see the distinctive red colouration when I squash one, and by that time the light was going.
    I'm going to put the lilies, which are early flowering unscented ones in vibrant reds, oranges and the odd yellow and murky pink, in the flower border as they seem quite hardy. The daffodil bulbs will also have to go in somewhere- I've still got loads of bulbs to plant and am trying hard to keep them in clumps of varieties rather than all mixed together.
    The container looks very bare at the moment, it has a mixture of pink tulips and pink cupped daffodils in it- I think I'll put some creeping jenny back round the edges to be going on with.
     
  2. elainefiz

    elainefiz Gardener

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    Thankyou Liz,i`ve been gonna sort out a container that had lilies in this yr but didnt really know what to expect as its my first time with them. [​IMG]
     
  3. geoffhandley

    geoffhandley Gardener

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    Have you brought a container in from some where else that had vine weevil? If you have then you will have vine weevil from now on. Just one vine weevil will start an infestation - they breed without having sex.
    I brought in a fuchsia plant from a nursery years ago - just one fuchsia plant and I rue the day because it brought in vine weevil.
    If I find vine weevil in a pot I bag up all the compost and it is taken away to the tip. All susceptible plants are potted in a compost containing avine weevil killer and I am havingt to try and find a more effective one. I find the plants most affected are primulas, lilies and then cyclamen - I no longer grow fuchsias in pots.
     
  4. Liz

    Liz Gardener

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    Elaine, most of my lilies are in pots because we have squirrels round here, and they love lily bulbs. I thought I 'd try these in the border near to the house- I have dogs and cats and I hope they might keep them at bay!

    Geoff, I do have a problem with vine weevil larvae- I wondered where they were all coming from. I do try not to use insecticides etc. and have found that repotting keeps them down, but this container is so large it has 2/3 of a big bag of compost in it. I love fuchsias and try to check on their soil every Autumn.
    I have been leaving out the used compost in shallow piles overwinter in the hope that frosts will kill any eggs, pupa, beetles or larva, but suspect that you are right and sending to the tip for composting would be more effective as we are told that council compost is subjected to high temperatures.
    I have also been advising my daughter that the round cream, orange, or brown balls that she finds sometimes in her soil are probably fertiliser granules, but maybe they might be vine weevil eggs- these are described as 1mm in size, round, and cream darkening with age..... :(

    Iformation on the life-cycle of vine weevils:-
    http://www.inra.fr/internet/Produits/HYPPZ/RAVAGEUR/6otisul.htm

    [ 01. December 2006, 11:42 AM: Message edited by: Liz ]
     
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