14-12-2018, 01:09 AM
If your geraniums aren't doing as well as usual check the growing tips to see if they have been attacked by a caterpillar known as 'pino procesional'. It is a bristly little thing varying in colour from pale cream to a vibrant green. The largest one I have seen is about 1.5cm long. The little sods burrow into the growing tip and take up residence inside, quickly devouring the inside of the stem. Often the first sign of infestation is the stem turning black. The 'green' solution is to cut off each affected growing tip beneath the black area making sure you cut back to clean green solid stems. Other possible solutions include Tromin Oil (not cheap, about 40€, but bottle lasts for years), or Ralbi 10 which is nasty stuff but pretty effective (wear mask and cover all exposed skin). After the caterpillar has eaten it's fill of the stem it comes out and pupates under a leaf so you may find them there but the damage has already been done.
They are out and about at the moment!
They are out and about at the moment!