Update on my Chionoides Rhododendrons

Back several months ago I posted about my miserable rhododendrons. Just about every leaf had been eaten by a bug and I was contemplating pulling them out.

The diagnosis was root weevils.

I ended up giving them a monthly spray of Isotox, a systemic poison whose label was completely terrifying. I used the long pants, eye protection, respirator etc, but still wasn't real happy about it.

The good news is that the bushes put out new foliage this spring which has matured without a single bug bite anywhere. They look great! I'm treating my other azaleas with the Isotox now (Blaaw's Pink and Rosebud), as their new foliage got munched up as soon as they finished flowering.

I hate having to use this kind of poison but it seems to be what it takes to keep plants alive around our house's foundation which is looking like the set for filming "The Very Hungry Catepillar"

Everything else in the garden is going great guns except for the roses. You guys weren't kidding when you said they were a deer's favorite food. They ate every single bud off my two roses!

If they are black vine weevils or strawberry root weevils, they live in the ground and climb up the plant each day to dine. Feeding is done at night. Specimens may be collected at night for identification. The major damage is caused by weevil larvae which girdle the roots and kill the plant. Larvacidal drenches may be used to kill them but are of limited effectiveness. A more effective approach is to use nematodes. They are very effective against weevils when applied in the fall to control the larvae. While this approach is promising, it has limitations in that the beneficial nematodes are very sensitive to temperature and moisture extremes and will not live over winter. If applied to soil that is too cold, too wet, too dry or too hot, they will die and provide no control. Best control is achieved by using both chemical and nematode methods with proper timing. Foliar sprays are very effective at controlling adult weevils when leaf notching starts. Foliar sprays of Orthene should be sprayed at about three week intervals from about May to October, depending on the weather, until no adults emerge. Since weevils feed at night, you can hand pick adult weevils at night using a flashlight. Since weevils spend the daytime in the soil and come out at night to feed, you can paint the trunk with Tanglefoot to stop them, but make sure no branches are touching the ground.