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Vine weevil grubs among lily bulbs

EustaceEustace Posts: 2,290
in Plants
I was removing a few easter lily bulbs from a pot in the patio and found a bunch of vine weevil grubs in the compost/soil. I have thrown away the compost and washed clean all the lily bulbs. Do I need to check the other pots also in the patio for these grubs? I have a few roses and blueberry bushes in bigger pots. How do I check whether the vine weevils have attacked them too? TIA.
Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth :)

Posts

  • AstroAstro Posts: 433
    If you can get into the roots from the top a bit they there may be signs. I think the best way to be more thorough is to lift them out of the pots if possible and lay them on some cardboard or the like and search in amongst the roots. 

    This year my potted hydrangea were full of VW. I shook and brushed off as much soil as possible and then washed the roots clean with a hose. Took a bit of work but if I hadn't done it the plant would have been ravaged.

  • SueAtooSueAtoo Posts: 380
    I think there is a nematode treatment - Nemasys - for vine weevils that you water on the soil.
    East Dorset, new (to me) rather neglected garden.
  • EustaceEustace Posts: 2,290
    SueAtoo said:
    I think there is a nematode treatment - Nemasys - for vine weevils that you water on the soil.
    Thanks for your help. But I think the temperature has to be higher for the nematodes to work. So can do that treatment only around March.
    Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
    And then my heart with pleasure fills,
    And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth :)

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If you find any grubs, stick them somewhere for the birds to eat. They do more damage than the adults.
    Certainly - washing the soil off and replanting generally works, but it's an ongoing process, and checking for adults [and dispatching ] plus cleaning off the grubs is necessary, especially for potted plants. Healthy plants in the ground cope much more readily.  :)
    The nematodes are fairly useless here because the soil doesn't warm up early enough to get them at the right time. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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