Vine weevil
Otiorhynchus sulcatus
Role in the garden
A small nocturnal black weevil. The adults cut half-moon notches in the leaves; the larvae devour the roots and often kill the plant.
Practical guide
Where to find them
Potted plants and sometimes strawberries grown in the garden, rhododendrons, vine.
Prevention
Wrap the pots with an insect net to stop the females laying in the compost. Destroy adults spotted at night by torchlight.
Early signs
Regular semi-circular notches on the leaf edges; plants wilt then die; C-shaped white grubs in the compost.
Action / control
Un-pot the attacked plants, gather all the grubs, wash the roots under the tap and repot in fresh compost. Application of Steinernema kraussei nematodes in moist soil, between 5 and 20 °C (RHS).
Sources
- RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) : Vine weevil (rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/vine-weevil)
Favourite plants / resources
Related plant entries
Strawberry
A perennial ground cover by runners, a pillar of the low layer in a forest garden. A companion of garlic and onion (documented tradition). To be renewed every 3-4 years from the young rooted runners. A refuge for adult hoverflies.
Grapevine
A climbing liana (layer 7 in the forest garden) that exploits light up high. On a pergola, trellis, or against a south-facing wall. Grafted onto American rootstock since the phylloxera crisis (1860s-1880s).