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Suffering succulent

JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 1,039
in Problem solving
Ok so my succulents were looking grim so I decided to pick off what I thought were water damaged leaves.... but I found the grub in the first photo desperately trying to hide after I cleared off the damaged leaves. Any ideas what it could be and is it related to the decline of my succulents ? FYI until recently they have been great this is my third year and these are actually off shoots of my original plants.
Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.

Posts

  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    It could be a vine weevil larva although it looks a little too golden in the photo. These things will totally ruin your sempervivums by burrowing into the root just below the surface of the soil. All is not lost however. You can sometimes save the plant by repotting in new and sterile (i.e. vine weevil free) compost and hoping the plant produces new roots. I've had to do this with most of my sempervivums and heuchera at one time or another and providing the damage caused by the larva isn't too bad, it often succeeds.
  • JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 1,039
    Hi Ceres I too thought the grub was wrong for vine weevil, however they plague me as I only grow in pots. I’ve just cleaned another couple and didn’t find any more grubs but I think I’ll repot anyway. So far all of the plants seem to have produced « babies » so I’ll also pick out a few of those and plant separately.
    Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    Hope it works. Those plants are really fun to grow.
  • HelixHelix Posts: 631
    That grub looks too small and cute to be a vine weevil.  But it could have a hearty appetite, so probably best to rehome it far, far away from your pots.  

    I think repotting to check out whether anything’s going on is a good idea. Sempervivums/houseleeks are pretty tolerant of being manhandled.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    What soil/grit mix do you use and where are the plants kept? Try and keep on top of removing the dead leaves as that's where the fungus starts that kills the plants normally. As you say that looks more like overwatering than a root problem.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    Don't know about the grub, he might be chomping on them. I grow some of these, mine are about to flower for the first time. I would lift them and check the compost for more grubs, if you find some then treat the plant with an insecticide. Remove all the brown rotting parts and replant in fresh very gritty soil.

    I tend to lift one side of the pot slightly so that any moisture drains away from the stems, they hate to be damp. I even remove mine to a covered area if it rains as they hate it. 

    Hope it works out for you. 
  • JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 1,039
    I repotted all of them into new compost. It is a specialist succulent mix with loads of grit and sand. No more grubs found and to be honest most were really dry, however as they are outdoors and the Parisian weather has been crazy so who knows!

    thanks for all your suggestions here are pics of the newly repotted plants, fingers crossed.
    Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.
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