Vine weevils - plastic
Flora rosa
Posts: 262
in Talkback
By no means a scientific observation, but all my plastic tubs are full of vine weevils (we're full, nematodes went to war). But my terracotta ones all seem free. I wonder if this shows that they have a preference for plastic !? Any studies to be commissioned from this observation 
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I shall be interested in your conclusions! Just wondering, though, have you used both kinds of pots for the same plants - like heuchera and primula viallii, for instance? Vine weevil grubs just love those.
Have you used the same type of compost in both types of pot?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Same types of compost but different plants, eg fuschias in both types and vine weevil only on the plastic potted fuschia! Noticed it when re-potting my rose into a bigger pot going from terracotta to plastic , had to take a fuschia out, (used nematodes, so hope my rose survives! ) so I checked my other fuschias and all clear. I have now checked all my pots and yes, can only see vine weevils in the plastic ones. Interesting !
Sorry, but I have found them in both clay and plastic, equally. Auriculas grown in either were attacked.
I only have terracotta pots and I have certainly had them. The provado water in Vine Weevil killer works well.
Berghill, thanks for the 'heads up' re Auriculas and vine weevils. I have Auricula plugs just starting to flower now, and am thrilled with them. Would hate to lose them, so shall go round with Provado.
All Primulas are very prone to getting attacked.
I use a non-peat based compost. It does seem to slow them down a little.
Oh and I soaked, and I mean SOAKED, a lot of Geums in Provado at the recommended concentration and the grubs survived!
By soaking I mean the plants were stood up to their necks in a soaking tray of the stuff for 24 hours.
Nasty little critters .... As if can survive that ! The beautiful lovely things we want to see are so delicate and the nasty damaging things can survive nuclear war ! Oh well, that theory's put to bed then, back to fighting them all over
Vine Weevil grubs like damp soil and plastic pots dry out less quickly that porous terracotta pots - so more probably survive in plastic pots. So I think you have a valid observation Flora.
Same in both here.