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Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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Posted by The_Grub Sydney (My Page) on Mon, Sep 12, 05 at 4:26
Hi,
Spent about $50 on the usual winter annuals, pansies, to liven up my front bed that faces the street. I planted them out, as per usual, with under-mulch leaky house and enriched soil, bla bla bla. They started out great, I nipped the early flowers off, to make for bigger and bushier plants...
Then it started. One by one they fell. Like soldiers on the front line. They would suddenly go all floppy and that was that. It appeared something was chewin' on the roots. I lost the whole 10 plants. I removed barrow loads of soil and all the mulch, cut back the five roses, covered the bed with manures and some lucerne around roses, and put chook wire on top to keep the cats away.
So my winter bed was dirt. Spring sprung, so I hit the nursery again full of vigour. I bought some perennials and thought I'd leave six holes for annuals. I bought lots of mini Lobelia and stuck this annual in too. I went for a purple and white Pansy theme again. All was going well and I was gloating all weekend wandering past, saying to myself, "Grub, good work. Nice bright cheery flower bed. The chix and mums will love you for it"
I came home from work and, damn it, the first Pansy is down. Nothing else around it is suffering, but I fear all Pansies will soon be lost. I told Mum, who has been growing Pansies and gardening all her life, and she said after 50 years she's never lost any Pansies till this year.
Cutworms? Nematodes? What do you think is the problem. Clearly, I am going to have to plonk in some Petunias with bad-tasting roots. Sad, coz I like my Pansies even though I'm not one. :( Grub |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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- Posted by meggs WA Aust (My Page) on
Mon, Sep 12, 05 at 5:35
| Most probably cutworms, have you seen any when you did your digging after the first 'tragedy'? How about snails? |
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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Grub, have a look at the stem at ground level to see if there are any lesions (dark areas) Sounds like a fungus that is causing the root rot. Don't overwater the seedlings and allow the air to circulate by not planting too thickly in an effort to reduce infection. Remove any deadies and debris.
Thiram, Fongarid or Ridomil might be useful but preventative measures are best. |
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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Ah Grub, my heart goes out to you. What's a man to do when he can't get his pansies to grow!
I agree with lomatia. Sounds fungal, but cutworms could be the cause I s'pose. Try keeping things on the dry side, and just in case, put little collars round those beauties (cut down toilet rolls will do I think). |
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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| Collars! Diamond-studded? Sounds like a good idea, Ray. I will use these next time. And thanks for everyone's suggestions. Maybe the leaky hose under the mulch is doing too good a job. Ta again. |
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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| One assumes there were no curl grubs when you first dug them all up? They'll chomp all your roots quick smart, although they should be starting to turn into beetles soon. |
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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| How big are curl grubs? I have a lot of these curly hard-bodied invertebrates in my soil. I have a few big fat grubs under the mulch that the chickens kill for and which the magpies ferret out. Thanks. |
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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- Posted by pepino Werribee Vic (My Page) on
Tue, Sep 13, 05 at 1:55
| I have them too Grub. Even the dogs fight to get them. They must taste good. |
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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| Here's a piccie of the little blighters. 
|
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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| Consider it a positive ID in the lineup. Book him, Danno, for Murder 1. I've got plenty of those exact suckers. They hang under my mulch an are virtually this exact size. |
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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- Posted by meggs WA Aust (My Page) on
Tue, Sep 20, 05 at 6:39
| Hi Grub, did you watch BH&G on Friday? Graham recommended "Prof Mac 3 in 1" for curl grubs, he said you only needed to apply it once. |
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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Thanks Meggs,
The downed soldier rose back to his feet, but another man at the frontline has since fallen and I'm afraid it's too late for him. I will have to treat the root zone and replace the plant. Ta for info. Damn Grubs. :) |
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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| Grub, I'm sorry about your pansies - I just LOVE pansies - and its a pity about the grubs. But I have enjoyed reading this thread!!! Thanks, Ann (ROFL) |
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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| I think you are probably over the worse of the infestations and the grubs will pupate (or whatever they do) before too long. If you replant now, just protect the seedlings with collars to be on the safe side. Here is a link to the life cycle of lawn grubs.
Rose-Marie |
Here is a link that might be useful: lawn grubs
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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| It appears a small part of the fallen pansy is growing on. Like a limb with its own heartbeat. The rest of the frtonline looks strong. Anyone growing Lobelia. I have about 20 of them, a dwarf cultivar, in a white and purple theme. Never grown them. Hopefully the flowers come soon. All the very best for the new season. :)grub |
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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| If it makes you feel any better, I have lost pansies this year for the first time too! Not all of them, just the odd ones here and there. Just bought the Professor Mac's (saw BH&G too)as I was wondering what to use on my potted plants that are full of curl grubs too. Also have something eating the pansy flowers - have a lot of slaters, but I have always thought they were relatively harmless and mostly ate decayed matter, not fresh stuff. Any ideas? |
RE: Man Down! Man Down! Pansy problems
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Kayleonie,I found with curl grubs in pots it's a case of repotting with new potting mix.I figure if you take the plants out of the pot there will be garden soil in there too.Really satisfying to watch the bird fight over the discarded grubs.
I used to regularly get them in pots with soil rather than potting soil.
Grub I sypmathise with you loss of "men" that was a good photo of the perpetrator.Just glad it's not to scale! |
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