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Coreopsis pest problem and what to do about it

I recently took delivery of a mix of plant plugs from T&M recently, a special offer mixture of plants. I potted them up with some compost to let them get bigger before putting them in the ground. I also bought them into the house as my plastic green houses was falling apart so wasn't staying warm.

But I have noticed that the odd leaf as started to fall over, looking like it has been eaten away half way down the stalk for that leaf. It was on just one plant but now spread to 2. I presume this is some sort of aphid type pest. Before it gets worse is there anything I can do to stop any of my other plants being eaten before I can get them into the ground.

Posts

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546

    Aphids don't eat plants that way, slugs and snails do! It may be a very tiny one - check under the pots, round the rim and inside too - it is much harder to find a slime trail for the little ones!

    Last edited: 23 April 2017 23:43:09

  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328

    I've also had seedlings eaten by sneaky green caterpillars feeding at night.  Slugs and snails feed at night too, so they may be hard to find in the daytime.

    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Mark56Mark56 Posts: 1,653

    Look closely, any slime trails? I had night time caterpillars too, they are from moths.

  • jaffacakesjaffacakes Posts: 434

    I think I have the same plugs. I didn't notice them on coreopsis but the slugs devoured my tiny echinacea in one night :(

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    Slugs love those and Echinacea, and lupins and .....? you could try putting just two grains of slug pellets on each plant, you may find the slime trail then. 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • JetmorganJetmorgan Posts: 79

    Thanks for all the advice. I haven't noticed any slime trails. I did find a tiddler slug hiding on one of the other plastic trays that I've bought indoors so he immediately went outside and I've checked on all the other trays and no sign. Got back this afternoon after work and no sign of anymore damage but i'll keep an eye on them. Hopefully there'll be no more damage on them so I can put them into bigger pots before they go out in the garden.

    I didn't get any echinacea in my collection which I was a bit disappointed with, but I'm still due a perennial lucky dip to arrive so I'll keep my fingers crossed that there are some in there.

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