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Old 11-08-2007, 12:40 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Mary Fisher Mary Fisher is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,441
Default Lily beetle - will someone remind me please?


"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...



Sorry to hear about your mother, time lessens the pain a little, or at
least makes it bearable.


Mum was well into her nineties and happy in her own little world, the
outside world didn't exist for her so it's a release, really. I'm sad that
she died while I couldn't be contacted though.

Then a couple of years ago I was going on holiday for a few weeks about
the time the little devils were at their worse and resorted to spraying
all our Regal lilies with "Polysect", a systemic insecticide. When I
arrived back there were superb plants with no damage, and what is more
interesting is that the next year they were better and bigger than ever. I
spray now as a matter of course. (the lilies are the only ornamentals I
spray)


We don't spray anything but I'm quite fond of the very few lilies we have,
one was given to me by a dear friend before she died, years ago. I think of
her every time I see it of course. We don't have many flowers, mostly
vegetables, but we've never seen the beetle before, in fact until it was
mentioned on GQT I hadn't even heard of it.

However, Spouse was keen on spraying against this one so I'll tell him what
you say. I looked at them again this morning and saw some very small adults
hiding in folds of the plant, I think it might be very difficult to ensure
finding them all.

Unless you want the seeds for propagation pick off all seed pods to allow
all the goodness to go into bulb formation, otherwise leave the
stem/leaves to provide food until they turn brown and die.


I don't want to propagate - no room - but that's what I've always done.
However, this year there are no flowers and few leaves left :-(

Thanks again.

Mary