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Leaf rollers
Joy*
Posts: 571
Hello all
HELP.......
For the first time in my gardening life, I'm being pestered with leaf rolling caterpillars. Virtually every plant with suitable leaves (my Angel's Wings is ok so far) has some evidence of them. The young shoots are the worst affected. Because the plants are relatively small, I am able to open the leaves and pick out the small green caterpillars but it's like painting the Forth Bridge! Tedious isn't a strong enough word! I've used weak washing up liquid to keep greenfly at bay, avoiding any preditoral insects but don't really know what to do to eradicate these pests. Spraying is difficult because of the way they roll up the leaves and seal them with silk, so ANY suggestions would be appreciated. Joy
HELP.......
For the first time in my gardening life, I'm being pestered with leaf rolling caterpillars. Virtually every plant with suitable leaves (my Angel's Wings is ok so far) has some evidence of them. The young shoots are the worst affected. Because the plants are relatively small, I am able to open the leaves and pick out the small green caterpillars but it's like painting the Forth Bridge! Tedious isn't a strong enough word! I've used weak washing up liquid to keep greenfly at bay, avoiding any preditoral insects but don't really know what to do to eradicate these pests. Spraying is difficult because of the way they roll up the leaves and seal them with silk, so ANY suggestions would be appreciated. Joy
0
Posts
Around autumn time, I think it is a good time to scrape away the top layer of soil and put in a very thick layer of fresh compost. Hopefully that will break the cycle of anything over wintering in the soil.