Forum

About the Landscape Juice Network

Founded in 2008. The Landscape Juice Network (LJN) is the largest and fastest growing professional landscaping and horticultural association in the United Kingdom.

LJN's professional business forum is unrivalled and open to anyone within within the UK landscape industry

LJN's Business Objectives Group (BOG) is for any Pro serious about building their business.

For the researching visitor there's a wealth of landscaping ideas, garden design ideas, lawn advice tips and advice about garden maintenance.

Whats Been Eating My Berberis

Posted by Cesare Harradine on June 12, 2010 at 9:32am in Pesticides
For the past few years the purple berberis on most of my sites have been stripped bare by something. The hedge seems fine and healthy one week but the following week it won't have a single leaf on it. Sometimes it recoveres, only to be stripped again.I've taken a real close look but I can't find the culprit. I've treated regularly with a broad spectrum insectide but still can't prevent the annual stripping of the leaves.I suspect a moth catapillar but I have never seen the b****rs in action.Any ideas
Views: 1745

You need to be a member of Landscape Juice Network to add comments!

Join Landscape Juice Network

Tags: catapillars, deseases, pests
★
★
★
★
★
Votes: 0
Email me when people reply –
Follow

Replies

  • Cesare Harradine June 12, 2010 at 11:58am
    Really need to know about this one guys!
  • Cesare Harradine June 12, 2010 at 1:34pm
    yep, thats the blighter. Cheers.

    Now I know what it is, how do I control it? Spraying seems to be ineffective.
    I've also noticed that once it has run out of bereris, it has a go at the pirocanthus.

    Adam Boyes said:
  • Cesare Harradine June 13, 2010 at 12:29pm
    Thanks for the info, it has been very useful. I have found out that these little monsters have three broods a year which is why I thought the spraying wasn't working. Thanks again.

    Adam Boyes said:
    I'd have thought spraying should have got them.

    There's a bit about control on the RHS site here:

    http://www.rhs.org.uk/Science/Plant-pests/Berberis-sawfly
  • Debbie Carroll June 14, 2010 at 11:30am
    This has been really helpful as my Berberis has been stripped for the last 3 summers. Last summer it regrew & was stripped again a month or so later. I saw the little caterpillers but couldn't identify them in my butterfly book! No wonder.

    I've had loads more birds in my front garden this spring so am hoping they may help as I'm loathed to spray. The plant looks healthy this year with some good new growth so I guess if it can cope with an annual defoliation I'll see what happens before spraying. I'll give it an extra feed if it gets stripped & see if it helps its recoverey.
  • Cesare Harradine July 7, 2010 at 11:14pm
    So far this year berberis has not been eaten. Dare I hope that the cold winter has killed the blighters off?
  • Busy Bee Garden Services Limited July 8, 2010 at 7:08am
    Agree the berbs in our gardens this year have not been affected by sawfly.

    Cesare Harradine said:
    So far this year berberis has not been eaten. Dare I hope that the cold winter has killed the blighters off?
  • Cesare Harradine June 28, 2012 at 8:14pm

    I don't know if anyone else has spotted this, but I've seen some signs of saw fly damage this week! 

  • David Cox June 28, 2012 at 8:22pm

    I will have a closer look over the next week at some sites - Never had a problem before, but perhaps the weather has played a part, alot of Berberis on my sites are missing upto 2/3 of their leaves and look very much close to death... not a good look and some clients are rather upset.

    Cesare Harradine said:

    I don't know if anyone else has spotted this, but I've seen some signs of saw fly damage this week! 

  • Cesare Harradine October 6, 2012 at 11:07am

    Can definately report the b***ers are back.  Saw a hedges totallly stripped today.  The ones that have survived the cold winter are going to be more cold tolerant.  It looks like we can't rely on the winter to get rid of them.

This reply was deleted.

Hot Discussions

Leading contributors

Featured Discussions

Trade green waste centres

<!-- Google tag (gtag.js) --> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-WQ68WVXQ8K"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-WQ68WVXQ8K'); </script>

LJN Sponsor

Advertising

Blogs

PRO Supplier

The Dennis ES-34R is a Hit at Haileybury

Posted by Fusion Media on April 17, 2025 at 12:29pm in Industry news

Andy Richards, Grounds Manager at Haileybury School, has praised the Dennis ES-34R battery-powered rotary mower for its sustainability, quiet operation, and exceptional performance.

At the prestigious independent school in Hertfordshire,…

Read more…

More on LJN

Featured business articles

About LJN