Aucuba
Hello I'm new to the forum but I have a problem with the leaves dying and the plant turning black on the Aucuba laurel, in the past I've cut back and hoped for the best, eventually I ended up digging them up and burning the root, not easy as they're large and established.
However we have the problem again and I've decided to dig the plants up straight away, on digging I've noticed large grubs in the root clump.
These grubs are very much like the chaffer grubs which are munching the lawn (another problem) but are much larger.
So my questions are, are the grubs the cause of the problem and if so what are they, also has anyone else found them.
If they are the problem, is there a treatment. Oh and that's a 2p in the picture.
Thanks Paul
Last edited: 29 October 2016 10:52:46
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Black leaves in Aucuba are usually due to water logging, but I think this maybe something else.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
The Aucuba are on a bank and the soil is on the dry side rather than wet, I don't know if these grubs are the problem but they look like the grub of the Japanese beetle, I didn't know that we had them in the UK
Those are vine weevil grubs. They'll be eating the roots, so drench with nematodes and keep the acuba well watered.
I would think it is probably getting a bit late for nematodes as the weather gets cooler. I am not quite sure what minimum soil temperature is. That is worth checking ..
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
I didn't think that vine weevil grubs got so large, thanks for the info