Morning everyone,

I was horrified yesterday to see that the Crocosmia Lucifer had been stripped of most of the flower buds, and I found a couple of caterpillars who are clearly the guilty parties.

I've never seen Lucifer damaged by caterpillars befo is this a new problem? Is it due to the weather, in some way? (ie are they lacking their normal food and turning to Lucifer for a diversion?)

I'd be very grateful to hear if anyone else is experiencing this problem.

Rachel 101 wrote:
I was horrified yesterday to see that the Crocosmia Lucifer had been
stripped of most of the flower buds, and I found a couple of
caterpillars who are clearly the guilty parties.

I did notice this week that my crocosmia don't seem to be flowering
at all, it's all leaf. (Not a lucifer, just a standard orangey job)
Not noticed any culprits, but I haven't investigated it, I just thought
it was running late.

On 25/07/2013 08:22, Rachel 101 wrote:
Morning everyone,

I was horrified yesterday to see that the Crocosmia Lucifer had been
stripped of most of the flower buds, and I found a couple of
caterpillars who are clearly the guilty parties.

I've never seen Lucifer damaged by caterpillars befo is this a new
problem? Is it due to the weather, in some way? (ie are they lacking
their normal food and turning to Lucifer for a diversion?)

I'd be very grateful to hear if anyone else is experiencing this
problem.

When you find out what they are, let us know. Maybe there's an evolved
form which eats the whole plant, roots and all. I'd welcome it - AFAIAC
Crocosmia is a pernicious weed, one of my "Top five" which I definitely
do not want to see again in the garden (yes, I know that some forms and
cultivars are not that bad, but I wouldn't risk it).

--

Jeff

Is this anything like your problem?
Graphicality-UK: Yikes, caterpillars - help needed!!

Thanks, Kay: yes, that is very much the same problem, but she (the blogger) is the only other reference I had found, which is why I thought I'd ask the question here.

Obviously it's not that widespread a problem!

*packages up some of the caterpillars to post off to Jeff*

Crocosmia without flowering spikes, poster "No Name" (hello, whoever you are!) is a different matter: they do come up "blind" some years. I rather think it's to do with the conditions in the previous year - if they didn't get enough food/water/sun etc to build up their corms, then they won't flower much, or at all, the following year.

My ones have flowering spikes all right, but each tiny flower bud has been carefully eaten, leaving the skeleton of the flowering spike behind.

*grumble grumble*

Thanks for the responses, anyway.

Rachel 101 wrote:
Crocosmia without flowering spikes, poster "No Name" (hello, whoever
you are!)

I think that that was me. Hello. I've replaced my email address with my name, which
may show up a bit better.

Noticed I'm getting crocosmia flower spikes appearing this week, so I guess they are
just running a little bit late.

(And late lilies!)

If you could post a link to a photo of the caterpillars, you could bring in other people's opinions. For example, I'm no moth expert, but I do have a copy of the excellent Collins Field Guide to Caterpillars of Britain and Northern Europe, which groups caterpillars by foodplant. It doesn't list crocosmia as a foodplant, but we migt be able to id the caterpillar and its normal foodplant, and hence suss out why it's moved to your crocosmias.

Hi Kay,

Darn, that's an excellent suggestion, but the only photo I managed to get was really fuzzy (cameraphone) so wouldn't be much help - the caterpillars were smooth, homogenous light grey in colour, a little over an inch long, not particularly plump (ie normal caterpillar proportions) and did look rather like the ones in the blog of the link that you supplied.

Since I cleared up the plants *pick! squish! pick! squish!* they haven't returned, and the remaining buds have opened into flower.

Victoria, I do hope that yours don't suffer the same fate!

"Victoria Conlan" wrote in message
...
Rachel 101 wrote:
Crocosmia without flowering spikes, poster "No Name" (hello, whoever
you are!)

I think that that was me. Hello. I've replaced my email address with my
name, which
may show up a bit better.

Noticed I'm getting crocosmia flower spikes appearing this week, so I
guess they are
just running a little bit late.


Just been out to check. My two clumps of crocosmia are both in flower. The
back flowers on the spikes are open with the rest being in bud. I'm in
north Norfolk. They had a generous dressing of pig poo earlier in the year
when they were dormant.

mark

On 2013-08-05 11:56:28 +0100, mark said:

"Victoria Conlan" wrote in message
...
Rachel 101 wrote:
Crocosmia without flowering spikes, poster "No Name" (hello, whoever
you are!)

I think that that was me. Hello. I've replaced my email address with
my name, which
may show up a bit better.

Noticed I'm getting crocosmia flower spikes appearing this week, so I
guess they are
just running a little bit late.


Just been out to check. My two clumps of crocosmia are both in flower.
The back flowers on the spikes are open with the rest being in bud.
I'm in north Norfolk. They had a generous dressing of pig poo earlier
in the year when they were dormant.

mark

Our C. Lucifer are going over and C.Krakatoa is coming out. No signs
of damage on any of them, so I hope it stays that way!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk