Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Specific Families and Genera => Pleione and Orchidaceae => Topic started by: Corrado & Rina on May 22, 2013, 09:36:40 PM

Title: Cypripedium and slugs
Post by: Corrado & Rina on May 22, 2013, 09:36:40 PM
I thought useful to open a separate thread, so that when beginners search, it may be easier to find the answers.

So, questions to all experts:

1) Do you think cypripedium recover if all the shoots are eaten? 

2) What would you do in extreme cases? For example, I think one of those very tiny slugs is hiding in the perlite of one cypripedium and coming out at night to eat the leaves .... I have tried by removing the top layer of the perlite. Would you take the plant out and repot in new sterile perlite? I really do not know what to do. I have even gone out at night with a torch to catch the culprit in flagrancy, but to no avail.

3) Would you keep feeding the cypripedium even without shoots, so as to have a healthy plant next year?

Best,
Title: Re: Cypripedium and slugs
Post by: SteveC2 on May 22, 2013, 10:10:01 PM
My Hank Small was levelled 2 years ago by slugs.  Last year it produced two small shoots.  This year it has two shoots which are about to flower, so yes they will recover.  A single slug pellet in pot will hopefully catch your culprit without any risk to any other wildlife.   I kept a little feed going in even when there was no top growth.   
Title: Re: Cypripedium and slugs
Post by: Anthony Darby on May 23, 2013, 11:21:19 AM
I find it strange that in the 12 years I grew cyps I never, to my knowledge, had so much as a nibble on any plant by slugs.
Title: Re: Cypripedium and slugs
Post by: Maggi Young on May 23, 2013, 11:50:12 AM
I find it strange that in the 12 years I grew cyps I never, to my knowledge, had so much as a nibble on any plant by slugs.
You were always telling us about the huge amount of rain your got in Dunblane, Anthony - surely all the slugs were drowned?  ::)
Title: Re: Cypripedium and slugs
Post by: Anthony Darby on May 24, 2013, 12:41:29 PM
You've not heard of the swimming slugs of Dunblane Maggi? They're very good at the crawl. ;D
Title: Re: Cypripedium and slugs
Post by: Maggi Young on May 24, 2013, 12:46:50 PM
You've not heard of the swimming slugs of Dunblane Maggi? They're very good at the crawl. ;D
;D ;D
Well, I had heard of them, but I thought they were an Olympic Synchronised Swimming Team...... ::)

Title: Re: Cypripedium and slugs
Post by: Anthony Darby on May 25, 2013, 01:00:32 PM
They failed to qualify. Couldn't keep time with the mucus. ::)
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