What's Eating My Geraniums?

[icyfroth]

Finally, I've got some read Geraniums growing in a terracotta pot. Sadly, they look bitten and curled, although they seem to flourishing ok. Putting out lots of new shoots.

I've pulled off a few grubs, but still those yellow spots appear, which eventually look like lacework on the leaves. Not impressed.

Any advice would be welcome.

[icyfroth]

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@bright.ton42 wrote:

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@icyfroth wrote:

Excellent advice from everyone, thanks. (Except Brighton) 

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Well I did try.  

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Possums indeed!

[icyfroth]

After close inspection of the Geranium this morning, I Found the grub that was munching on them by following the black dots, as was suggested.

Cunningly concealed, it had grown big and fat on my plants, and I squished it. Green stuff went everywhere. Yuk.

After that I picked off all the lacy holey leaves and sprayed the ones no too badly chewed. I'll keep monitoring them.

[davidc4430]

out there somewhere is his wife and children wondering when dad will be home with dinner.

he said he was bringing home geranium takeaway, their favorite.

now they will be left not knowing dad was involved in a terrible shoe accident.

[tasfleur]

[lyndal1838]

Keep checking the plant Icy....while the moth is around you will keep finding them.

They start off about the thickness of a piece of cotton and there is usually a number of them on the plant.

[icyfroth]

Ok will do Lyndal 

[imastawka]

Icy, I reckon that Geranium would thrive with a repot.

Sometimes the soil gets water repellent and the water just runs off or around

the edges, till it runs out the bottom of the pot, and the plant doesn't do very well.

Test it.  Water the plant, and then scratch the surface to see if the water has penetrated

If you don't want to re-pot there is a product that you can use to make sure

it gets the water

Spoiler

  There are other brands available

[icyfroth]

Ok, thanks Lurker.

[lind9650]

That was Stawka, giving the hint about watering.

Something else to look for, beside the grubs are earwigs. Thy are only active at night and hard to find during the day.

I used to have 65 different Geraniums at my old house. Put crumpled up newspaper in pots or tins, laying on its sides between the Geraniums. In the mornings I would go out with a bucket of boiling hot water and shake the papers over the bucket. Drowned or cooked hundreds of earwigs.

Another spray to make is to cook up some crushed garlic and chopped chillie with some water. Let it cool, add a few drops of detergent and use in a spray bottle. Nothing likes to eat garlic / chillie spray. Not even Possums.

Erica

[imastawka]

It's OK Erica,  Icy has always thought we were the same person