Why is my Salvia Caradonna looking like this?

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• Ivy2 Posts: 73

  August 2023

  
  

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• Fairygirl Posts: 55,117

  August 2023

  Caterpillars of some kind?
  It's certainly very shredded. Is anything else nearby affected? It's the only salvia I grow as it's the only reliable one, but I've never seen that damage on it. Hopefully someone can help though. 

  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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• Ivy2 Posts: 73

  August 2023

  Nothing else affected. Thanks

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• FireBat69 Posts: 29

  August 2023

  Insect attack or something.  my plant scanner can't detect the picture. but in my experience, I use Neem oil spray. twice a week or every other day depends on damage severity. 

  I really don't have a Good backyard. But used my balcony as container Gardening place. No stopping from my passion.

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• B3 Posts: 27,505

  August 2023

  It looks like the damage you get from sawfly. If you can't see any bugs at all, they've probably moved on so there's no point spraying anything.

  In London. Keen but lazy.

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• Topbird Posts: 8,355

  August 2023

  I have not seen that sort of damage on caradonna either - but I have a similar type of damage to other plants which have never been affected before. No idea what it is but there are a lot of cabbage whites and box caterpillars this year so maybe some sort of insect or caterpillar damage.
  
  IMO caradonna can look very tired very quickly after the first flush of flowers (possibly because it's usually rather hot and very, very dry here). Have adopted a system of letting them have their first flush then cutting back to 2 or 3" at the beginning of July. With a bit of water they put on nice fresh growth and usually get a second flush of flowers on shorter stems mid to late September. 
  
  You have little to lose by cutting those hard back now. It's too late for either a second flush or much new growth, but it will look a whole lot tidier than what you have now. Cut them hard back again in spring and fingers crossed they're not affected next year.
  
  

  Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  

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• didyw Posts: 3,573

  August 2023

  I wonder if it could be grasshoppers?  There are a lot of them about this year and they have to eat something.

  Gardening in East Suffolk on dry sandy soil.

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• Perki Posts: 2,527

  August 2023

  Slugs eat carradonna, they don't eat everyone's though. They don't bother mine to much but I've had whole clumps destroyed in other gardens 

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• Ivy2 Posts: 73

  24 February

  I did cut this back last summer.
  
  Looks dead to me now? What do you think?
  
  
  

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• Topbird Posts: 8,355

  24 February edited 24 February

  Did you get any regrowth after cutting back last summer Ivy? If not, the chances are the plant is dead. If there was regrowth and the soil has not been waterlogged over winter, chance are it's still alive. 
  
  I have to say your plant does look more dead than mine do (mainly still just dead stalks), but I would expect to see some green nubs appearing at the base over the next few weeks. I'd leave yours a few more weeks but if nothing appears by the end of March I'd declare it deceased.
  
  If you dig it out I'd be interested to know what sort of root ball there is. I think quite a few of my plants (ones in the ground not in pots) were chewed by vine weevil last year so I'm waiting to see if there is long term damage. Not quite sure what I'll do about it if there is...

  Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  

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