Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia) Damage

[Ian B]

I've got a clump of them which have been doing a bit better each year. This
year, there are 11 flower spikes so far- a record, heh- but several of them
have large chunks out of the flower head. The heads are not yet mature
enough to be in flower if you see what I mean. Is this likely to be a pest
of some kind? I can't see anything on them. Is there some creature that
stalks middle England that eats them? They are quite large "gouges", not
just a little nibble. I've not seen this before. Normally they just shoot up
and do their thing.

Ian

[Ian B]

Janet wrote:
> In article <4dda381e$0$2516$db0f...@news.zen.co.uk>,
> noe...@invalid.invalid says...

> Happens here every year; I reckon it's those slugs that are 4 inches
> long, black with brown patterns on.
>
> Janet. (Scotland)

I'm amazed they can jump that high.

Is there anything I can do to protect the flower spikes? I'm rather worried
that at this rate there'll be nothing left to flower :(

Ian

[Martin Brown]

On 23/05/2011 11:52, Ian B wrote:
> Janet wrote:
>> In article<4dda381e$0$2516$db0f...@news.zen.co.uk>,
>> noe...@invalid.invalid says...
>>>
>>> I've got a clump of them which have been doing a bit better each
>>> year. This year, there are 11 flower spikes so far- a record, heh-
>>> but several of them have large chunks out of the flower head. The
>>> heads are not yet mature enough to be in flower if you see what I
>>> mean. Is this likely to be a pest of some kind? I can't see anything
>>> on them. Is there some creature that stalks middle England that eats
>>> them? They are quite large "gouges", not just a little nibble. I've
>>> not seen this before. Normally they just shoot up and do their thing.
>>
>> Happens here every year; I reckon it's those slugs that are 4 inches
>> long, black with brown patterns on.
>>
>> Janet. (Scotland)
>
> I'm amazed they can jump that high.

I have seen large slugs on my upstairs windows during wet weather. On
closer inspection it looks like they have been parasitised by one of
those nematodes that makes them climb the nearest vertical structure.

You sometimes see steel fences with hundreds of slugs and snails right
at the top...

>
> Is there anything I can do to protect the flower spikes? I'm rather worried
> that at this rate there'll be nothing left to flower :(

A bit of slug killer on the ground underneath. Or you could try
diatemous earth or two loops of concentric copper wire which is supposed
to work.

Regards,
Martin Brown

[Ian B]

Janet wrote:
> In article <4dda3c55$0$2511$db0f...@news.zen.co.uk>,
> noe...@invalid.invalid says...

>>
>> Janet wrote:
>>> In article <4dda381e$0$2516$db0f...@news.zen.co.uk>,
>>> noe...@invalid.invalid says...
>>>>
>>>> I've got a clump of them which have been doing a bit better each
>>>> year. This year, there are 11 flower spikes so far- a record, heh-
>>>> but several of them have large chunks out of the flower head. The
>>>> heads are not yet mature enough to be in flower if you see what I
>>>> mean. Is this likely to be a pest of some kind? I can't see
>>>> anything on them. Is there some creature that stalks middle
>>>> England that eats them? They are quite large "gouges", not just a
>>>> little nibble. I've not seen this before. Normally they just shoot
>>>> up and do their thing.
>>>
>>> Happens here every year; I reckon it's those slugs that are 4 inches
>>> long, black with brown patterns on.
>>>
>>> Janet. (Scotland)
>>
>> I'm amazed they can jump that high.
>

> I confess I've been giving them free flying lessons.

>
>> Is there anything I can do to protect the flower spikes?
>

> Armed security patrols at night ? Tiny copper collars round the
> flower stems?

I could sit by it with a torch all night perhaps...

Ian