I am not a gardener , so please be gentle with me!!!

Some years ago we had a Russian Vine trailing along the fence. Every
summer it became infested with what I believe was Vine Weevil. [little
wormy / larvae like things eating away inside the leaf until it turned
yellow and fell off]. If I caught it in time then I removed the infected
leaves and burnt them, ocassionaly spraying with some stuff that I have
now forgotten the name of. Eventually I got sick of it and cut it back
to ground level, anyway now to my point. New neighbours have had an
'abortion' of a conservatory fitted [more like a plastic box...absolute
disgrace really] It is higher than my fence so I have fitted 'lattice
arch shaped tops' to my fence to screen it and stop their windows
opening over the top of the fence into my garden. The Russian Vine
started to regrow beautifully,my idea being to train it along the
lattice and thus completely screen the 'conservatory', but...in the
summer instead of the weevils the leaves started to go black and
'leathery' in parts and then the rest of the leaves went yellow and
fell off...no sign of the weevils though.
What is my best option? Scrap the vine and plant another [ I liked it
since it covered the fence in a matter of weeks] or should I plant
something else? As to questions regarding soil type...not a clue. If it
is any help we are 1 mile from the north west coast in Lancashire and if
we dig down deeper than about 450mm we hit sand. Sorry to be so
'horticulturally numb'. Many thanks


--
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"Clive Dive" wrote in message
news:6282dd436a841068fb370b9b8a17ca7a.115311@mygat e.mailgate.org...
I am not a gardener , so please be gentle with me!!!

Some years ago we had a Russian Vine trailing along the fence. Every
summer it became infested with what I believe was Vine Weevil. [little
wormy / larvae like things eating away inside the leaf until it turned
yellow and fell off]. If I caught it in time then I removed the infected
leaves and burnt them, ocassionaly spraying with some stuff that I have
now forgotten the name of. Eventually I got sick of it and cut it back
to ground level, anyway now to my point. New neighbours have had an
'abortion' of a conservatory fitted [more like a plastic box...absolute
disgrace really] It is higher than my fence so I have fitted 'lattice
arch shaped tops' to my fence to screen it and stop their windows
opening over the top of the fence into my garden. The Russian Vine
started to regrow beautifully,my idea being to train it along the
lattice and thus completely screen the 'conservatory', but...in the
summer instead of the weevils the leaves started to go black and
'leathery' in parts and then the rest of the leaves went yellow and
fell off...no sign of the weevils though.
What is my best option? Scrap the vine and plant another [ I liked it
since it covered the fence in a matter of weeks] or should I plant
something else? As to questions regarding soil type...not a clue. If it
is any help we are 1 mile from the north west coast in Lancashire and if
we dig down deeper than about 450mm we hit sand. Sorry to be so
'horticulturally numb'. Many thanks

Does not sound like vine weevil. The beetles that eat the leaves are black
coloured.
Here's some pictures for ID: http://www.crocus.co.uk/pestscards/vineweevil/?

No idea what it might be - someone else maybe ?

jenny

"JennyC" wrote after

"Clive Dive" wrote
I am not a gardener , so please be gentle with me!!!

Some years ago we had a Russian Vine trailing along the fence. Every
summer it became infested with what I believe was Vine Weevil. [little
wormy / larvae like things eating away inside the leaf until it turned
yellow and fell off]. If I caught it in time then I removed the infected
leaves and burnt them, ocassionaly spraying with some stuff that I have
now forgotten the name of. Eventually I got sick of it and cut it back
to ground level, anyway now to my point. New neighbours have had an
'abortion' of a conservatory fitted [more like a plastic box...absolute
disgrace really] It is higher than my fence so I have fitted 'lattice
arch shaped tops' to my fence to screen it and stop their windows
opening over the top of the fence into my garden. The Russian Vine
started to regrow beautifully,my idea being to train it along the
lattice and thus completely screen the 'conservatory', but...in the
summer instead of the weevils the leaves started to go black and
'leathery' in parts and then the rest of the leaves went yellow and
fell off...no sign of the weevils though.
What is my best option? Scrap the vine and plant another [ I liked it
since it covered the fence in a matter of weeks] or should I plant
something else? As to questions regarding soil type...not a clue. If it
is any help we are 1 mile from the north west coast in Lancashire and if
we dig down deeper than about 450mm we hit sand. Sorry to be so
'horticulturally numb'. Many thanks

Does not sound like vine weevil. The beetles that eat the leaves are black
coloured.
Here's some pictures for ID:
http://www.crocus.co.uk/pestscards/vineweevil/?

No idea what it might be - someone else maybe ?


Sounds more like some species of Leaf Miner.
As for the current problem, sounds rather strange unless it suffered from
drought like so many plants down here this year.
--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

Mmmmmm!
The little devils concerned were 'inside' the leaf. Sort of a clear
version of the weevil grub. They left a clear trail within the leaf
where they had been munching away.If you took the leaf between thumb and
finger you could 'roll around' the little bu88er prior to crushing it!!
As for the 'drought' option, everything else was fairly greenish; it
just seemed strange that some of the leaves went leathery and black.

Any opinions as to a different vine? if so, when to plant as I do not
want
another summer looking at the side of a white plastic box
[sorry...conservatory!] Thanks again


--
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On Wed, 3 Jan 2007 17:51:19 +0000, Clive Dive wrote
(in article ilgate.org):

snipped
..in the
summer instead of the weevils the leaves started to go black and
'leathery' in parts and then the rest of the leaves went yellow and
fell off...no sign of the weevils though.



I'm a naturally suspicious sort of guy, so I can't help wondering if you are
sure it was a natural pest? Not "gramoxone" or "roundup" perhaps? Maybe
your neighbours like to look into your garden?

Well, I did wonder about that one. But the vine took a few weeks to
die and it was not from the bottom up, more like random areas of the
plant, with some areas black and leathery and the others fading to pale
yellow. I know it is a bit hard to pin point as the vine naturally
rambles. Are the 2 that you mention poisonous to animals? I only ask as
we have 3 dogs, and if that was the case then then I feel a 'bricks and
windows' moment coming on. They are particularly dosey and I do not
think they would have it in them really. Any thoughts on a different
type of plant??
Thanks


--
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On Wed, 3 Jan 2007 22:20:49 +0000, Clive Dive wrote
(in article ilgate.org):

Well, I did wonder about that one. But the vine took a few weeks to
die and it was not from the bottom up, more like random areas of the
plant, with some areas black and leathery and the others fading to pale
yellow. I know it is a bit hard to pin point as the vine naturally
rambles. Are the 2 that you mention poisonous to animals? I only ask as
we have 3 dogs, and if that was the case then then I feel a 'bricks and
windows' moment coming on. They are particularly dosey and I do not
think they would have it in them really. Any thoughts on a different
type of plant??
Thanks




Roundup would certainly kill from the root tips upwards. It is marketed as a
"trans-located product" meaning that application to the growing plant is
transferred by the plant to the root tips.So you would see a progression of
"kill" from the ground upwards. Gramoxone is different in its approach. It
kills only down to soil level and the plant will then recover. I used to
sell a lot of gramoxone to potato farmers who would spray the planted field
the moment the potato plant tips appeared above the soil. This way they
would kill any weed in the field and the resultant potato growth would
suppress any weed growth without too much affect on the actual crop.

Both weedkillers are supposed to be rendered inert with soil contact.
Gramoxone in particular is or was a fairly common method of suicide in places
like China and Sri Lanka. Drinking it would cause death, but not for many
weeks. Quite bizarre.
But yes, they are both very dangerous to animals and humans.
See the following URL's.

http://www.syngenta-crop.co.uk/PG/GRAMOXONE100/
http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/actives/paraquat.htm
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/GTARW.php

I am always amazed at the casual use of these products by non-professionals.
I'm quite sure that "Joe Public" is completely unaware of the dangers he
faces by using them without the correct protective equipment i.e. breathing
masks, fully body protection, gloves etc, etc.

"Clive Dive" wrote in message
news:6282dd436a841068fb370b9b8a17ca7a.115311@mygat e.mailgate.org...
I am not a gardener , so please be gentle with me!!!

Some years ago we had a Russian Vine trailing along the fence. Every
summer it became infested with what I believe was Vine Weevil. [little
wormy / larvae like things eating away inside the leaf until it turned
yellow and fell off]. If I caught it in time then I removed the infected
leaves and burnt them, ocassionaly spraying with some stuff that I have
now forgotten the name of. Eventually I got sick of it and cut it back
to ground level, anyway now to my point. New neighbours have had an
'abortion' of a conservatory fitted [more like a plastic box...absolute
disgrace really] It is higher than my fence so I have fitted 'lattice
arch shaped tops' to my fence to screen it and stop their windows
opening over the top of the fence into my garden. The Russian Vine
started to regrow beautifully,my idea being to train it along the
lattice and thus completely screen the 'conservatory', but...in the
summer instead of the weevils the leaves started to go black and
'leathery' in parts and then the rest of the leaves went yellow and
fell off...no sign of the weevils though.
What is my best option? Scrap the vine and plant another [ I liked it
since it covered the fence in a matter of weeks] or should I plant
something else? As to questions regarding soil type...not a clue. If it
is any help we are 1 mile from the north west coast in Lancashire and if
we dig down deeper than about 450mm we hit sand. Sorry to be so
'horticulturally numb'. Many thanks


Sounds like the original problems is leaf miner damage and the second could
be any number of fungi that cause leaf blotching or mildews (they are often
triggered by dry at the roots) It could be if your neighbours conservatory
is close, the foundations for it may well have interfered with the water
supply of the Russian vine.
My suggestions for replacements would be Wisteria floribunda if its a
sunny'ish spot and if shady Parthenocissus henryana. Both would give you
good leaf cover during summer.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

The fence is NW facing and it gets sunshine from about 1100h until about
1600h due to shape of house; so which plant would be the better option,
please?
As regards the possibility of weedkiller being the cause, I have just
had a look at the vine and there appears to be life in the 'branches' [I
know it's not the right word, sorry]. They all resist being snapped and
spring back to position so I presume it will sprout again, but is it
worth it?


--
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"Clive Dive" wrote in message
news:b5acbef3bc33ff6613f15f0f096dd35d.115311@mygat e.mailgate.org...
The fence is NW facing and it gets sunshine from about 1100h until about
1600h due to shape of house; so which plant would be the better option,
please?
As regards the possibility of weedkiller being the cause, I have just
had a look at the vine and there appears to be life in the 'branches' [I
know it's not the right word, sorry]. They all resist being snapped and
spring back to position so I presume it will sprout again, but is it
worth it?

The Parthenocissus will give the best show. But I got the impression you
were most interested in the leaf cover in summer so the Wisteria would do
that as well but would not flower as well.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

Looks like being wisteria then, I need the cover to obscure the 'plastic
box'! When does it need planting [presume now is too early]

Thanks


--
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