What is eating my clematis?
 

Symptoms ; Leaves often completely eaten leaving just a stalk, some stalks
nearly eaten through all the way round so they hang down. No slug/snail
trails, and slug pellets on ground but no dead slugs or even mucus in
evidence.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

I have had the same problem, which on further investigation turned out to be cutworms.

"Tumbleweed" wrote in message
...
Symptoms ; Leaves often completely eaten leaving just a stalk, some stalks
nearly eaten through all the way round so they hang down. No slug/snail
trails, and slug pellets on ground but no dead slugs or even mucus in
evidence.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

I have experienced a similar problem with my clematis armandii. I often see
ants on this plant. Could this be the cause of the problem?

Les

On 30/3/05 1:39 am, in article , "Tumbleweed"
wrote:

Symptoms ; Leaves often completely eaten leaving just a stalk, some stalks
nearly eaten through all the way round so they hang down. No slug/snail
trails, and slug pellets on ground but no dead slugs or even mucus in
evidence.

Mice seem to like them.
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

"Sacha" wrote in message
k...
On 30/3/05 1:39 am, in article ,
"Tumbleweed"
wrote:

Symptoms ; Leaves often completely eaten leaving just a stalk, some
stalks
nearly eaten through all the way round so they hang down. No slug/snail
trails, and slug pellets on ground but no dead slugs or even mucus in
evidence.

Mice seem to like them.

Nah, I very much doubt a mouse could have eaten around such thin stems,
leaving an even tinier thread remaining, in the centre. Must be a an insect
or other small pest. Also, its not in a position where I would expect to
see mice (Or have ever seen).

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

"Tumbleweed" wrote in message
...

"Sacha" wrote in message
k...
On 30/3/05 1:39 am, in article ,
"Tumbleweed"
wrote:

Symptoms ; Leaves often completely eaten leaving just a stalk, some
stalks
nearly eaten through all the way round so they hang down. No slug/snail
trails, and slug pellets on ground but no dead slugs or even mucus in
evidence.

Mice seem to like them.

Nah, I very much doubt a mouse could have eaten around such thin stems,
leaving an even tinier thread remaining, in the centre. Must be a an
insect
or other small pest. Also, its not in a position where I would expect to
see mice (Or have ever seen).

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

It is snails but not the ones living on the ground, these are small and live
entirely in amongst the foliage of other plants, use a liquid slug killer
(aluminium sulphate if you are organic) in a pressure spray, chose a warm
dry evening and spray both the plant and its surrounds, in the morning you
will find the culprits dead! Once is usually enough as clematis will
eventual outgrow the snails.

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

"Gandalf" wrote in message
...

Tumbleweed Wrote:
Symptoms ; Leaves often completely eaten leaving just a stalk, some
stalks
nearly eaten through all the way round so they hang down. No
slug/snail
trails, and slug pellets on ground but no dead slugs or even mucus in
evidence.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

I have had the same problem, which on further investigation turned out
to be cutworms.


--
Gandalf

I've also found what I believe to be cutworm on clematis and eating other
plants also. How did you get rid of them?

Eleni.

They like to lurk just under the soil, I usually find the whem I'm weeding. Other than that I look out for them when I'm on my nocturnal "scissors & Bucket" raids, looking for slugs and Vine Weevils.