I'm nurturing my newly- planted comfrey, taking great pleasure in dreaming about its many uses once it is established. I'm watching each leaf unfurl with a sense of anticipation.....but it seems I have an enemy....Tonight I wandered down the garden and see a wiltered leaf...WHAT?!!!!! On closer inspection a small yelllow and black beetle flies off just as I'm peering at yet more leaves with holes in them. Now, I have noticed the furry underside of some of the few leaves that are starting to get established, have got a downy look to them, hmmm ?eggs, I've ignored it until now....because now means WAR!
Now having done my research before I bought said plant, I know that any gardener worth his/her salt has comfrey growing because it makes a great liquid fertiliser. So I am keen to encourage it even if it threatens to become invasive. Apart from that it has a variety of medicinal uses which I haven't got into yet....although its claim to heal broken bones seems a little far-fetched, won't bring that up with dh!
So what to do? Trawling through web sites, it appears that getting rid of said beetle is almost impossible, if it is cucumber beetle, which I suspect it is, by its description If , of course, someone tells me it isn't resident in the UK then I will try and see what it is...but whatever it is, I'm up for a fight! Armed with my weak solutiuon of washing up liquid in spray bottle I have drenched the plant with it, having absolutely no idea if it will work, but sounding a lot like the father in MY Big Fat Greek Wedding who thinks that Windex cures everything! I read it somewhere on an organic gardening website years back.... Next I have covered it with fleece and peg it down with tent pegs.....we shall see. I'm up for a fight! If it dies, it dies, but it's going to go down fighting and I'm going to spray and watch it like a hawk.... my little plant needs to have a chance.....wretched beetle.....
One day, I want to see it looking like this!!!!
Next morning:
Don't think Confrey liked my diluted washing up liquid deluge..... Leaves gone brown overnight...no sign of downy eggs on underside of leaves though. Have removed some leaves which I consider past all hope and covered it up with the fleeceagain! Have about 3 or 4 leaves left and a tiny leaf coming up at the base. Decided NOT to respray!! Not about to give up yet!
Now having done my research before I bought said plant, I know that any gardener worth his/her salt has comfrey growing because it makes a great liquid fertiliser. So I am keen to encourage it even if it threatens to become invasive. Apart from that it has a variety of medicinal uses which I haven't got into yet....although its claim to heal broken bones seems a little far-fetched, won't bring that up with dh!
So what to do? Trawling through web sites, it appears that getting rid of said beetle is almost impossible, if it is cucumber beetle, which I suspect it is, by its description If , of course, someone tells me it isn't resident in the UK then I will try and see what it is...but whatever it is, I'm up for a fight! Armed with my weak solutiuon of washing up liquid in spray bottle I have drenched the plant with it, having absolutely no idea if it will work, but sounding a lot like the father in MY Big Fat Greek Wedding who thinks that Windex cures everything! I read it somewhere on an organic gardening website years back.... Next I have covered it with fleece and peg it down with tent pegs.....we shall see. I'm up for a fight! If it dies, it dies, but it's going to go down fighting and I'm going to spray and watch it like a hawk.... my little plant needs to have a chance.....wretched beetle.....
One day, I want to see it looking like this!!!!
Next morning:
Don't think Confrey liked my diluted washing up liquid deluge..... Leaves gone brown overnight...no sign of downy eggs on underside of leaves though. Have removed some leaves which I consider past all hope and covered it up with the fleeceagain! Have about 3 or 4 leaves left and a tiny leaf coming up at the base. Decided NOT to respray!! Not about to give up yet!
