Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Something's eating my roses

emmakholland-DOpB0PIemmakholland-DOpB0PI Posts: 5
edited June 2021 in Problem solving
Can anyone help me please?  I've just planted this rambling rose three weeks ago, but now I see this damage all over the leaves?  Do you know what's eating it?  I can't find any pests on it besides ants and aphids, which I'm squishing.  The damage also appears on a nearby newly planted Honeysuckle, but not as severely.  No other plants in the garden are affected.  What do I do?

Posts

  • Danae(dan-Ah-ee)Danae(dan-Ah-ee) Posts: 966


    Perhaps?
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I would agree with leaf cutter bee, that is very neat "damage"
    https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/making-a-home-for-leaf-cutter-bees/

    They are fascinating creatures, and they won't actually harm your rose. They will leave plenty of leaf .
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I’m afraid that most of that damage doesn’t look like the work of leaf cutter bees to me. It’s too small and not circular enough. 
    That looks to me more like the work of adult vine weevils 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • emmakholland-DOpB0PIemmakholland-DOpB0PI Posts: 5
    edited June 2021
    Well, Thank you all.  I went out last night with my torch and found vine weevils on both plants, the rose and the honeysuckle :( .  I picked them off and put them in a cup of water/washing up liquid.  Should I do this every night for a while?  What else do you recommend please?  I read that nematodes are effective against the larvae, but I don't know which plants to treat apart from the ones affected or when to treat them for maximum effect.  Or perhaps treat them now and again in the autumn?  Advice please?  The plants are all in the ground, but have been planted in the last 3-4 weeks.  They are plants I had ordered or got from the garden centre.  No other plants appear to be affected in the garden yet. 

    Is this a lot by the way from 2 young plants?  I couldn't find any more, but I could easily have missed them on other plants, but I can't see the notches elsewhere.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited June 2021
    Thought they were the culprits 😠  ........... the vine weevil nematodes are mixed  with water and watered onto the affected bed ... they'll kill the next several generations ... but if you've got a lot already hatched, which it looks as if you have I'd go out there at night picking them off, just as you have.  

    I don't think they came in with the plants ... they were already in your garden so treating the soil is the way to go. 

    Good luck 🤞

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • emmakholland-DOpB0PIemmakholland-DOpB0PI Posts: 5
    Dovefromabove said:
    Thought they were the culprits 😠  ........... the vine weevil nematodes are mixed  with water and watered onto the affected bed ... they'll kill the next several generations ... but if you've got a lot already hatched, which it looks as if you have I'd go out there at night picking them off, just as you have.  

    I don't think they came in with the plants ... they were already in your garden so treating the soil is the way to go. 

    Good luck 🤞

    Thank you for your advice.
    It's a little bizzare as there were no plants there before.  It's a new 30cm flowerbed we cut out of the grass up against the fence in which to plant some climbers.  Should alert my neighbour on the other side of the fence too?  They had a well-established, deep flowerbed on the other side of the fence, although a few months ago they cleared it of plants, so it's been sitting empty a while now.

    Have you used nematodes before?  Are they very successful?  And how wide an area do you think I should treat?  All the flower beds and the veg bed, for example?

    I'm grateful for your advice.  I've limited experience at gardening so finding my way with it.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    The vine weevil just live around the garden ... maybe they were in your neighbour's garden and moved 'next door' when he removed their food supply.

    When we moved here about 10 years ago we planted honeysuckles and clematis in a new bed and found them immediately attacked just as yours were.  We applied nematodes according to the instructions (if I remember correctly it was two applications at a specified interval) and we've not been bothered since.  You need to apply the nematodes when the soil is warm enough, with a watering can with a rose with quite large holes, and then you need to keep the area damp for quite some while after applying (not too difficult this summer so far ;) ). 

    The instructions are available on the websites that sell them ... as far as I'm aware they are only available online as they have a short shelf-life and need to be kept in the fridge.  

     :) 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • emmakholland-DOpB0PIemmakholland-DOpB0PI Posts: 5
    Dovefromabove said:
    The vine weevil just live around the garden ... maybe they were in your neighbour's garden and moved 'next door' when he removed their food supply.

    When we moved here about 10 years ago we planted honeysuckles and clematis in a new bed and found them immediately attacked just as yours were.  We applied nematodes according to the instructions (if I remember correctly it was two applications at a specified interval) and we've not been bothered since.  You need to apply the nematodes when the soil is warm enough, with a watering can with a rose with quite large holes, and then you need to keep the area damp for quite some while after applying (not too difficult this summer so far ;) ). 

    The instructions are available on the websites that sell them ... as far as I'm aware they are only available online as they have a short shelf-life and need to be kept in the fridge.  

     :) 

    I'll give it a go.  Thank you
    Cross your fingers for me please! :)
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    🤞🤞🤞 👍😉

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Sorry l was incorrect Emma and they were baddies, not goodies.
    I have used nematodes in pots and found them to be very effective against the grubs. 
    Dove is correct, you can keep the nematodes in the fridge for around 2 weeks. These are the ones l use,but there are several available. 
    https://www.gardening-naturally.com/vine-weevil-nematodes-12-sqm
    Good luck  :)
Sign In or Register to comment.