This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
What is eating my actinidia kolomitia
richardfowkes
Posts: 2
An unknown pest is eating my Actinidia leaves, which is very frustrating as the main feature of this climber is the beautiful pink tipped foliage which is disappearing before my eyes. I cannot see any evidence of snails, slugs or caterpillars. Anyone else seen this? Any suggestions on what to do ?
0
Posts
Could be adult vine weevils.
thanks, good suggestion, I have put down lots of grit around the base, and will get the torch out tonight to look for the little critters.. if not is there a good spray?
Is it in a pot, Richard? If so, have a look underneath to see if you can find any. They are mainly nocturnal and hide under pots and in leaf litter during the day so it might be worth a midnight visit with a torch.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=234
The larvae are the most damaging as they eat the roots and you generally only discover them when the top growth dies, but they are generally only a problem in potted plants.
Having said that, kiwi fruit have very vigorous roots and are fast growing plants so will not likely be unduly affected unless they are very young and not in the ground.
Hi Richard, you posted while I was typing! You can get a soil drench called 'vine weevil killer 2' if still available which will kill any larvae present and provado should kill the adults (but crushing them is much more satifying!) There are also nematodes for an environmentally friendly approach.