Lavender eating beetle

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Lavender eating beetle

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SparklyWellies

Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 88
Location: Oxfordshire

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 05 3:15 pm Post subject: Lavender eating beetle

From today's Telegraph for anyone who's interested.

Britain's lavender and garden herbs are under threat from a beetle invading from Europe.

Experts say an outbreak of the Rosemary Leaf Beetle has been found in the middle of Norwich and fear it could herald the start of a serious infestation.

The beetle, Chrysolina americana, which has a distinctive green and purple metallic coat, normally thrives in southern Europe and has no natural predators in Britain.

Entomologists fear the country's commercial growers of lavender, rosemary and thyme on which it feeds, as well as amateur gardeners, face a possible invasion of the bug.

The beetles, which grow to 8mm in length, and their larvae, strip the growing tips off the plants. A study has been set up to see whether the infestation is an isolated incident.

Expert Dr Ian Bedford, head of the entomology team at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, said yesterday: "The first step is to see how widespread it is.

"But the last thing we want is for people to panic and go and start spraying nasty chemicals which may affect pollinating insects."

Gertie

Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 1638
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 05 4:01 pm Post subject:
Oh no, what with this and the harlequin ladybird I love my lavender bushes - the little devils can keep well away

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 05 4:05 pm Post subject:
I'm probably safe - I can't get lavender to overwinter

Res

Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 1172
Location: Allotment Shed, Harlow

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 05 4:17 pm Post subject:
Quick, batten down the hatches. Standby to repel boarders. Go wake the captain :toothy6: Can you fit airlocks to pollytunnels

Gertie

Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 1638
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 05 4:30 pm Post subject:
Judith, I treat lavender with the greatest respect - when we moved into this house we had an enormous bush of lavender at the front, moved it to make way for our drive and I killed it when I transplanted it. Have had umpteen lots of lavender since, last 3 lots have stayed alive.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 05 5:36 pm Post subject:

Gertie wrote:

Have had umpteen lots of lavender since, last 3 lots have stayed alive.

So what is the secret? I have this dream of a great swathe of lavender running down the middle of my garden. I suspect I might go to my deathbed with that one unfulfilled!

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 05 6:42 pm Post subject:
There's loads of different sorts, and their hardiness varies big time. Maybe you should try to find some of the more hardy ones, then grow them on in pots, overwintering them indoors/in a greenhouse. Then plant them out when they're a decent size.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 05 7:33 pm Post subject:
Lavender grows very well in our garden. We do have wet and cold winters but we are on a slope and the soil is dry and chalky. Have you tried planting them with plenty of gravel for excellent drainage? Some of our best bushes were ones from B&Q, I think they were about £1.50 but were very sturdy plants.

moogie

Joined: 02 Feb 2005
Posts: 525
Location: Near Bridgend

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 05 8:07 pm Post subject:

Judith wrote:

I'm probably safe - I can't get lavender to overwinter

I grow mine in big pots and then pop it in the greenhouse when it gets cold, i.e. a couple of degrees below. I really would recommend feeding lavender with sulphate of potash, brings it on a treat!

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 05 8:12 pm Post subject:
Judith, I should think it's the wet rather than the cold that's seeing off your plants...as on most things I think we've an article on it tucked away somewhere(RHS Garden mag I recall distinctly), I can have a look, squeak if you want me to look.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 05 8:17 pm Post subject:
Yeah. I think it must be the cold wet roots. This winter we have had 5 or 6 separate lots of snow and I think that is what does for it - even though the stuff I planted last year is in my herb bed, which I dug loads of grit into. Thyme doesn't do too well either, although it is just about clinging on this year. A waaaant a greeeeenhouse!

moggins

Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 942
Location: Gloucester

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 05 8:20 pm Post subject:
Noooooo, I love my lavender. I've got a decent sized hedge of it now and I don't want to lose it to some darned beetle

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