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What’s eating my heuchura?!

kirsty.longmankirsty.longman Posts: 3
edited February 2021 in Problem solving
I’m very new to having any space to grow things, so please excuse if I’m totally ignorant! 
After a year of experimenting with what can grow in my very dark damp yard I was delighted to discover heuchera that like shade! 
Unfortunate over the winter they have been getting holes in the leaves. I can’t  see any insects on the leaves. I saw a little catapiller like thing once but otherwise nothing. 
I put nemasays weevil killer and slug killer down at the beginning of january but the holes are still getting bigger! 
Should I just repeat the treatment or do I need to do something else?
im super sad as it’s spreading along all of them do any Adobe would be much appreciated!

Posts

  • Desi_in_LondonDesi_in_London Posts: 731
    edited January 2021
    I don't have experience of heucheras specifically , but the nemasys vine weevil killer requires soil temperatures higher than would have been the case in early Jan to work , and in any event only kills the larvae ( not the adults that bite the leaves). Based on the position of the holes where some of them are in the centre...( vine weevil damage is usually irregular shapes holes / bite marks around edge of leaf ) doesn't look to me like weevils, caterpillar culprit possibly but may be multiple things.

    edit to add - some of the holes look like could be weevil, but just not all. Hopefully someone with heucheras will be along to answer.
    Kindness is always the right choice.
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    As far as I know the vine weevil killer is only designed to kill the larvae in the soil, as you water onto the soil.  The adult beetles feed off the leaves, and are probably unharmed by it.  The damage they do is unsightly, but it generally does not kill the plants.  It's the larvae that do most damage.  

    I find it's always best to have some cuttings of all of my Heuchara's, so that I can afford to lose some to Vine Weevil.  They are very easy to root from cuttings.  I try to avoid growing Heuchara's in pots, as Vine Weevil tend to prefer plants in pots, than ones in the ground.

    If you want to be sure the Vine Weevil killer has worked, wait until Spring and then dig up your plant, to see if you can see any living larvae.  Although small, they are usually quite easy to spot, as they are white with brown heads.  That might also be a good time to divide your plant to get some spares.
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    I should have added that you can buy a liquid Vine Weevil killer, which I found to be more effective at killing the larvae than nematodes, however it is nasty stuff that you might not want to use.  
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Nematodes don't work unless it's warm enough, and they also won't work  unless you're using the correct one.
    While vine weevil is indeed a problem with Heucheras, that looks like slug damage in your photo. 

    It's the weevil grubs which do the damage anyway - they feed on the roots. If you gently pull on the plant and it just comes away in your hand, then it's weevil damage. You can clean off the soil on the roots and replant, and put any grubs you find out for the birds to eat. They're always more susceptible in pots too - always better in the ground, so bear that in mind too   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • delskidelski Posts: 274
    Not sure if you've noticed @kirsty.longman but your Amazon screenshot has your postcode for all to see. Might want to contact the mods to have it deleted if you're at all interested in privacy.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Those holes don't look at all typical of vine weevil damage (adult VW start at the edges and eat irregular notches), so I would say the culprit is far more likely the caterpillar of a winter moth.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
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