Actinidia Mystery Solved
 

I've had an actinidia kolomitka for a couple of years. The plant has done
nothing much in the way of growth, and its few leaves have been chewed to
pieces. Every morning I go out, look at the eaten foliage and scratch my
head trying to figure out what's eating it. I've dug it up looking for vine
weevils, watered it, fed it, talked to it and finally sprayed it with every
chemical on earth, but still it gets eaten to bits.

Well, this morning the mystery is finally solved. The dreaded pest ---
cats! I knew cats were attracted to this plant but I didn't realise they
were eating it. A cat seemed to be intoxicated with it, so much so that I
had to whirl my arms and screech like a banshee to scare it off.

I think all I can do is dig up the plant, pot it, and grow it in a
greenhouse. Unless anyone has any other solution?

Thanks.

Actinidia Mystery Solved
 

On Fri, 23 May 2003 10:40:28 +0100, Adrian Jones wrote:

I've had an actinidia kolomitka for a couple of years. The plant has done
nothing much in the way of growth, and its few leaves have been chewed to
pieces. Every morning I go out, look at the eaten foliage and scratch my
head trying to figure out what's eating it. I've dug it up looking for vine
weevils, watered it, fed it, talked to it and finally sprayed it with every
chemical on earth, but still it gets eaten to bits.

Well, this morning the mystery is finally solved. The dreaded pest ---
cats! I knew cats were attracted to this plant but I didn't realise they
were eating it. A cat seemed to be intoxicated with it, so much so that I
had to whirl my arms and screech like a banshee to scare it off.

I think all I can do is dig up the plant, pot it, and grow it in a
greenhouse. Unless anyone has any other solution?

Thanks.

You'll need a big pot and a huge greenhouse if my book is correct! It says
that A. kolomikta grows to 6-12 feet and should be grown against a
sheltered wall or fence.
It goes on to say what you already know -
Pests - Cats are attracted to some species, particularly A. kolomikta, and
may damage the stems, occasionally killing the plants.
Maybe you need the electric fence mentioned in another thread!
Sorry, can't offer any constructive suggestion so I'll go back to lurking.
--
M C C

Actinidia Mystery Solved
 

Why not make a collar of wire netting to protect the plant

Actinidia Mystery Solved
 

On Fri, 23 May 2003 10:40:28 +0100, Adrian Jones wrote:

I've had an actinidia kolomitka for a couple of years. The plant has done
nothing much in the way of growth, and its few leaves have been chewed to
pieces. Every morning I go out, look at the eaten foliage and scratch my
head trying to figure out what's eating it. I've dug it up looking for vine
weevils, watered it, fed it, talked to it and finally sprayed it with every
chemical on earth, but still it gets eaten to bits.

Well, this morning the mystery is finally solved. The dreaded pest ---
cats! I knew cats were attracted to this plant but I didn't realise they
were eating it. A cat seemed to be intoxicated with it, so much so that I
had to whirl my arms and screech like a banshee to scare it off.

I think all I can do is dig up the plant, pot it, and grow it in a
greenhouse. Unless anyone has any other solution?

You may have Actinidia polygama, a closely related species,
well-known for its feline intoxicative properties. The two
species also differ in that one has lamellate pith and the other
doesn't but I can't tell you offhand which is which.

I grow both: A. kolomikta is ignored by the cats, while it is a
struggle to keep A. polygama alive.

Unless you enjoy providing the local moggies with a good stone,
dig the thing up and get a real A. kolomikta. Pass the old one on
to some lover of cat-attractive plants.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Actinidia Mystery Solved
 

The message
from (Rodger Whitlock)
contains these words:

On Fri, 23 May 2003 10:40:28 +0100, Adrian Jones wrote:

I've had an actinidia kolomitka for a couple of years. The plant has done
nothing much in the way of growth, and its few leaves have been chewed to
pieces. Every morning I go out, look at the eaten foliage and scratch my
head trying to figure out what's eating it. I've dug it up looking
for vine
weevils, watered it, fed it, talked to it and finally sprayed it
with every
chemical on earth, but still it gets eaten to bits.

Well, this morning the mystery is finally solved. The dreaded pest ---
cats! I knew cats were attracted to this plant but I didn't realise they
were eating it. A cat seemed to be intoxicated with it, so much so that I
had to whirl my arms and screech like a banshee to scare it off.

I think all I can do is dig up the plant, pot it, and grow it in a
greenhouse. Unless anyone has any other solution?

You may have Actinidia polygama, a closely related species,
well-known for its feline intoxicative properties. The two
species also differ in that one has lamellate pith and the other
doesn't but I can't tell you offhand which is which.

I grow both: A. kolomikta is ignored by the cats, while it is a
struggle to keep A. polygama alive.

Interesting. I had Ak (the one with pink and white tipped leaves)and
found it slow to establish. It hung around doing nothing much for a
couple of years then set off like a rocket in every direction; I'd be
cutting back 5ft of growth every year. Both our cats were very attracted
to it and would spend happy hours rubbing themselves against stems and
leaves, or rolling on it in ecstasy, if they could pull a bit to the
ground.

Just before we moved I found its first and only seedling in the gravel
drive :-)

Janet.