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Viburnum opolus

LynfromSeaLynfromSea Posts: 133
in Problem solving
Just one more question you may be able to help me with as your advice has been wonderful on my other issues. My Viburnum looked dreadful this year and worse than the year before. The beetle has done so much damage! I did spray it last spring a couple of times but it still got the better of me. Is there anything I can do now? I believe the adults live on the bark where they lay their eggs before the young attack the leaves. May be wrong on that but I don’t want to lose it.

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I used to have 5 of the dwarf variety of opulus. Every year the leaves were turned to lace by the beetles and after a few years they all died.
    You could use a systemic insecticide every 6 weeks on them whilst they're in leaf which should stop them, but it's not something I wanted to do, so I planted something else where they were.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited October 2022
    I dug out a V tinus years ago the beetle infestation was so bad there were more holes than leaves! It is about breaking the life cycle but I wasn't happy with treating it either.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    I'd choose another plant. Anything that needs spraying to keep its place in your garden should go. I let the beetles get on with in for Viburnum opulus, it's deciduous so those leaves go and also it's native and may be supporting more wildlife than just the Viburnum Beetles


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • WoodgreenWoodgreen Posts: 1,273
    nutcutlet said:
     and may be supporting more wildlife than just the Viburnum Beetles
    Here in my garden in south Cumbria up to now I've not seen viburnum beetles, but leaf-curling aphids usually take out the new foliage. A fresh set of leaves appears, but they do look a sorry sight when it's a bad infestation. It's not as noticeable in my hedges. I wonder if pests locate specimen shrubs more easily?
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I have a tall, tree like viburnum which had a terrible infestation. I pruned all the lower branches right out from the trunks to a height of about 2 ft or so and put down a good layer of small gravel underneath which seems to have helped this year.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • LynfromSeaLynfromSea Posts: 133
    Lizzie27 said:
    I have a tall, tree like viburnum which had a terrible infestation. I pruned all the lower branches right out from the trunks to a height of about 2 ft or so and put down a good layer of small gravel underneath which seems to have helped this year.
    Thank you. I think I’ll give it a try next year
  • Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380
    edited October 2022
    After losing ALL foliage on my VO Compactum one year, I squished as many caterpillars and adults as I could and then cut out any egg sacs with a knife - they're easily visible.  Lizzie's version is more drastic but simpler :) and it depends how big the bush is.  I'll have a crack at the egg sacs during winter sometime and wouldn't expect any more than mild infestation next year.  Stitch in time and all that.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    That's me well and truly put off trying VO Compactum next year. 
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • LynfromSeaLynfromSea Posts: 133
    Woodgreen said:
    nutcutlet said:
     and may be supporting more wildlife than just the Viburnum Beetles
    Here in my garden in south Cumbria up to now I've not seen viburnum beetles, but leaf-curling aphids usually take out the new foliage. A fresh set of leaves appears, but they do look a sorry sight when it's a bad infestation. It's not as noticeable in my hedges. I wonder if pests locate specimen shrubs more easily?
    I’m just wondering if that’s what I’ve got as I’ve never seen any caterpillars or larvae. Maybe I should take a closer look. Would you treat the bush the same way? Interestingly I have a viburnum tinus nearby that doesn’t seem affected at all!
  • WoodgreenWoodgreen Posts: 1,273
    @LynfromSea The aphids always seem to appear in spring here, when the soft new foliage is emerging. The leaves curl up really tightly, hiding the aphids from predators I suppose. Then they go crispy and that's it until the plant produces a fresh lot of foliage.
    But perhaps this year, with the strange weather, soft new growth came after the heat and drought where you are? Here we didn't get such extremes so I haven't seen any late aphids on the bushes.
    I don't know what to suggest if it is aphids, other than perhaps not over-fertlising the ground as that may induce softer, weaker foliage that's more susceptible? The ones in my hedges just have to get on with it, no feeding or anything, and competing with other shrubs so I suppose they're tougher than a specimen shrub in a tended border.
    A bird feeder close by might encourage little birds to spot the aphids before the leaves start to curl.

    I would watch closely next spring, to find out which is the culprit.
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