Return to the Tropical Plants Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Borer in my Gingers
| | |
Posted by robert_nsw NSW Aust (My Page) on Fri, Sep 29, 06 at 1:30
| Every year when cutting back my Gingers, I encounter hollow chewed out centres, right down the inside of my Ginger stems. Is this a big problem and what can I do to prevent it? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Borer in my Gingers
| | |
| treat with a systemic poison , or feed up with compost and fertilizer. very hard to kill these borers .. in tropics only trouble in slow growing time over winter , once wet starts , fast growth makes the borers no problem . |
RE: Borer in my Gingers
| | |
| In my experience these borers are really troublesome, especially in Curcumas, but other species such as Hedychium are also affected. While the borer does not kill them outright, plants are often severly affected, preventing flowering and leading to collapse of shoots. As Aroideana suggested applying poison regularly helps, but I am unable (and unwilling) to apply poison regularly, therefore, I have stopped growing Curcumas and species that are susceptible. |
RE: Borer in my Gingers
| | |
| DPI in Darwin have identified the culprit as conogethes spp. It's a moth whose larvae bores into the stems. Peak activity is during the dry season and if you cull and destroy affected stems you can make a dent in them. There is a biological control but it's a bit pricey for the home gardener. Confidor sprayed weekly for 4 weeks and then monthly will also do the trick. Our alpinias got hit when they were little but have gotten big enough that while they get hit once in awhile it isn't worth using poison.They also seem to like Venusta!! |
RE: Borer in my Gingers
| | |
| My problem was with the curcumas,too, pretty much wiped them out and unfortunately the damage done before I realised it. Sneaky little wretches. |
|
|
|
|
