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Wisteria woes!

was321bd5mCtsdwas321bd5mCtsd Posts: 2
in Problem solving
I have a Wisteria climbing up a wooden trellis arch, but something is eating it!. Although Pic1 shows some holes in the leaves this is not my main concern. Pics 2 & 3 show the new shoots being completely stripped of new leaves, more of a worry. I can see no signs of any bugs and have sprayed with a general bug killer, to no avail. I live in Scotland. Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

Posts

  • luis_prluis_pr Posts: 123
    edited July 2021
    The leaves still on the pictures show that something has been nibbling at them. You need to monitor during the day/night and look the top/bottom of leaves and branches for aphids, scale, caterpillars and beetles.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I think your wisteria looks generally unhealthy as it shouldn't have mottled leaves.  

    I suspect it is stressed mostly from lack of water - long dry hot spells last summer and a cold, dry April just when it needed lots of moisture.   I suggest you start by giving it a long, slow drink of 15 to 20 litres of water every other day for a couple of weeks and continue thru summer if it gets hot and dry again.   After a couple of weeks it should look better and then you could give it a weak feed of tomato or rose fertiliser as a tonic.

    It is not a god idea to spray indiscriminately without knowing what the pest is.  A healthy plant will recover and you may be killing off beneficial insects too - ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies, bees - so best to be sure first.   I usually find lots of snails "nesting" in my wisterias and they would be impervious to sprays.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • was321bd5mCtsdwas321bd5mCtsd Posts: 2
    Many thanks for the advice. Living in Scotland the lack of moisture has been rectified over the last couple of days, courtesy of the weather! As no pests are evident most likely culprit would seem to be snails. Night Patrol rosta now in force!
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I suspect that as well as snails you may well find adult vine weevils on your Night Patrol.  

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





  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I would still give it a few bucketfuls to make sure the water goes really deep down.

    Good luck with snail hunting.  No personal experience of vine weevils - so far - but I know they can be a serious pest, especially their larvae.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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