Potted Plants Looking Sad This Year? This May Be The Gross Reason Why

Larvae of the Vine WeevilWe’ve written before at HuffPost UK about how seemingly innocuous patches of yellow grass can sometimes be caused by chafer bug larvae. They damage your grass by eating its roots, causing stunted growth and even the death of the blades. But another larva, this time from the vine weevil, might be to blame for wilted plants right now – especially houseplants, strawberry plants, or plants in containers. The Natural History Museum said the C-shaped critters “grow to 1.5cm, and are plump, pale and legless with hardened, brown head capsules”.Which plants are most likely to be affected?As we’ve said before, plants grown in containers are especially likely to be hit with an infestation. That includes indoor plants, plants grown in greenhouses, and even those planted outdoors and under cover. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said strawberry plants, primula, polyanthus, and young yew trees are also susceptible to vine weevil grubs, regardless of where they’re grown. The weevil grubs are most active from winter to spring but “can be found all year round,” according to BBC Gardeners’ World.Aside from wilting, their activity can also lead to dead plants. Adult beetles may leave notch-shaped marks in leaves too, but they’re less likely to cause serious damage.How can I get rid of vine weevil? “Adult vine weevils can be caught by hand and squashed – either inspect plants at night by torchlight when the beetles are active or shake pot-grown plants over newspaper,” Gardener’s World advised. But by the time a grub infestation has started to affect your plants, it’s likely the infestation is already well established. In that case, repotting plants and removing as many grubs as you can, encouraging natural predators (like hedgehogs, birds, and frogs) to your garden, and buying nematodes as a biological control can all help, the RHS states.If you are going with the last option, wait until August and September to apply them. Not only will the soil be at its most welcoming temperature for the nematodes, the RHS said, but it also helps to tackle the issue “before the vine weevil grubs have grown large enough to cause serious damage”.Good luck!Related...UK Gardeners Urged To Check For Yellow Patches On Grass3 Edible Weeds You Can Forage From Your Garden (And How To Eat Them)UK Gardeners Urged To Do This 'Small Act Of Kindness' In April

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