What's eating my lavender ?

kerri_gt

I bought three English lavender planets from lidl a while back, one in a lot growing fine, as is one out the front under a tree that was a replacement for an old woody plant (I know it's not the ideal place for it but I like it there)

However, one in a bed which was planted to replace one that died is being nibbled away by something, so much so that tonight I've dug it up and put it in a pot to bring in at night and hopefully save it. Bed has some pansies in it and ivy (all due to be dug out and replaced by heather and prob thyme) also near is a massive rosemary bush that is showing no ills.

Assumed it was slugs . I know the bed also has some lizards that hibernate in it (found those when I was replacing a plank one year) but didn't think either of those liked lavender) haven't seen anything on the plant although the soil seems to have tiny white bits in it, could be chewed up lavender leaves though.

wallbash

What's eating my lavender ?
Norman !

peachyprice

Have you seen any of these beetles or lavae around?

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=555

kerri_gt

peachyprice wrote: »

Have you seen any of these beetles or lavae around?

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=555

Not until tonight, then they came out to play. Picked off about a dozen, my poor little plant is tiny so they've really caused it some damage. Hoping if I can get rid of them it will recover. Also hoping they don't migrate to the rosemary bush.

Any idea of how to get rid of them besides hand picking? The poor plant isn't up to a lot of shaking, would the oil, dish soap and water method be effective do you think?

peachyprice

I hand picked mine off and removed the originating plant from the garden, mine came in a plant my Mum bought me from Wilkinsons.

Once I'd got rid of that plant and crushed a few beetles that had stumbled to other plants I didn't get any more.

kerri_gt

Had a closer inspection of our rosemary bush today and found about 6 adults on it, all quickly despatched. The rosemary doesn't look like it's been eaten as much, although it's so big in comparison to the lavender. Wonder which one got it first. Very annoying. Picked a couple more little uns off my lavender today but seems relatively free now. Will keep an eye as don't want to be putting it back to infect more, esp if I want to plant thyme too.