Heuchera - for Vicky

That's a shame, Louise. Can you see your plants right now? Our heucheras are all buried beneath the snow :-(

No snow here David :-))))
This picture was taken about an hour ago !

(We rarely get snow here, thankfully).

Lovely, I love the coconut tree Louise1, it reminds me of home. Mauritius.

Hi Louise
Yes caterpillars as we thought propably a type of moth but thats not for sure lol
You just need to break the cycle as I mentioned earlier in original question.
I would chop off ugly leaves in early spring then you can get a closer look and pick off any you see but spray is the best defense.
We have catterpillars on one of my containers in garden I cant wait to sort it out in the spring when all the new growth will grow back and i can give them a really good spray again. (you need to spray it now also to make a start on them)
let me know how you go on. :)

Thanks Vicky.
I'll do as you suggest and spray it now, watch this space ;-))

Will Do
You will have to keep on top of problem all year really as i suspect that they like to stay close to home which of course is your garden !!! Probably drop into soil to pupate then they emerge again and start all over again!!!
Like the salmomon seal sawfly (dont know proper name for that particular sawfly ) They come back every year to the same plant. :(
I will keep looking out for your reports :)

What a mess and such a shame for you, Louise with all the hard work you put in. I hope you get on top of the problem soon.
Is the new avotar where you'd like to be right now? If it is, can I join you please?

Michaella, Mauritius is one place i've never been but would love to. When you go back home next time, slip me into your suitcase would you ;-)

Wagger, the picture in that avatar is not one i've taken but anywhere that had all that going on would be just fine !
I'd be there in the blink of an eye, and yes, you can certainly join me !

Well, let's get planning then - think I remember where my cozzie is :-)))

Louise1, I have found that infestations of native bugs and other predators is often an early indicator of a plants' overall health. When a plant is in stress, it will produce sugars into the upper foliage or start overproducing reproductive seed output which attracts bugs that naturally feed on stressed plants. Trees and woody shrubs are the best example of this. When a "stress condition" exists in any plant, mother nature attempts to "thin out the herd" and sends in predatory life forms to feed on the weak plant.
The solution? Chances are that it might me a simple soil imbalance. Do you see earthworms in the soil when you dig into the area? Earthworms produce excrement as they tunnel that is the best organic fertilizer in the world.
Heavy earthworm activity in the soil is a great indicator of overall soil health, which in turn, feeds the root systems of all plants.
~N2O~

Thanks N2.
In the soil here there's a lot of earthworms, both in the front and back gardens ..... yet still a lot of plants get the caterpillars.

I'm going to have to start a spraying regime now to get this lot under control, i've not used insecticides for a few years and i'll probably lose a lot of Ladybirds and Butterflies this coming summer now, seeing as it's them that feed on the aphids that are going to be destroyed in the process :-/

If you want to spray, there are a couple of non-toxic pesticides. These may be biodegradable or organic but it’s best to read the label carefully before using them.

■B. Thuriengiensis spray
■Organic insect spray with pyrethrum such as Beat-A-Bug
■Chilli and garlic spray
■Biodegradable soap spray such as NatraSoap
■Eco Oil
■Pest Oil
I took this from a site on the internet and thought it would show you some different methods that are GREEN
you can google these and it will tell youhow they work.

Thanks Vicky, i'll look into them :-))

Hint: Spray the plants with a mixture of Apple Cider Vinegar, Orange oil, and a mild soap such as "Lemon Joy", DILUTED into water at 1oz. per gallon of water.
Hydrogen Peroxide can be substituted as the soap ingredient as long as it is less than a 5% mixture. This formula also works great to kill fire-ant mounds when you add a 2oz. per gallon mix of strong compost tea as a buffer.
That's what I use! ;-)

Everything is under snow here. plants did well in the SUmmer.

Try to get the snow off when it is thawing as anything with a crown can go rotten after a prolonged period of heavy snow.
so it thaws take a hand brush and gently brush off onto ground to stop the bulk going into the crown
Somtimes when it thaws it freezes again and this doesnt help either.
Most of them will be fine though but if you have favourites you dont want to risk them:)

I'll have go tomorrow thanks for the advice.

Louise I know it is no consolation but our garden has the same problem, I noticed before the bad weather arrived how many plant had holes in them, so thanks to Vicky we shall start a spraying regime, the plants look such a mess, it is so disappointing, Louise will you let me know what you decide to do please?

Actually Dd, i sprayed them today !
Also 2 of my Choisyas have been attacked and i sprayed them too, this problem is now in the front AND back gardens ...... i'm just going to have to spray the Heucheras and Chiosyas if i'm to keep them ..... i've lost both types of plants, been eaten away completely, in the past year or so. Grrrrrr.

I don't spray anything else these days but i'm going to have to now.

There were so many caterpillers last year
pleased you have decided to spray as if thats the problem and I really think it is then it will sort it out but keep it up as they can come back.
When you have had a really good spell free of holes then try to use less.
Good luck
Let me know how you all go on.:)

Louise will you PM me to let me know what you used please...looked at our plants today and they look horrible, my brother said all his were eaten by the vine weevil, (the heucheras in particular, they were in pots?) mine are all in the ground.
So I hope it is just caterpillars, will let you know Vicky....

use provardo for the vine weevil or nematodes (cant spell)
do exactly as it says on the packet dont skimp it as it wont work
Things available to the public are usually quite weak compared to what we can use so if you skimp as well then it wont work
I am just refering to the provado not other chemicals use the recommended measures and it does work.
you have to use it more than once though usually
I was looking at my heucheras in garden last week and tiding them up and found quite a few caterpillars so I am certain thats what did the damage to the heucheras in the picture.

Have been out and sprayed, then it rained heavily for the rest of the day (for a change) so most of it will have been washed away........

Doesn't that make you sick, grrrrr.
I've done mine a couple of times but they're so very 'eaten' that they look b****y diabolical, so much so that when i was looking at them yesterday i thought i'd just dig them up and throw them all away.
They never, ever get intact leaves and i'm fed up with seeing tatty plants all the time .... their days are numbered, i fear !

trim the leaves back to tidy them up and provided you have sprayed them and keep an eye open to break the cycle they should start coming up with lovely leaves.
Honest:)
It isnt the best time of year now for heucheras though they are probably at their worst now.
Our show plants look pretty rough but I have faith (and fingers crossed) that they will be ok lol

Oh dear Louise, that would be a shame to get rid of all your lovely heucheras, I do know how you feel though regarding tatty leaves, unfortunately there are several plants in our garden that look like this........I will do as Vicky says and will trim them back and see what happens, wouldn't you think that with all this cold weather it would have killed all the beasties?

its aweful isnt it I thought they might not have made it through but as i said I found quite a few in my garden none as yet on the nursery but our garden that doesnt get as much attention had lots all different coloured ones too.
Bright green one and hawes moth ones I think they are really big when they mature!!!!
No Louise dont throw them :(