Q. I planted some English Laurel Plants that grew in gallon containers at the nursery. They have been in the ground at my home for about 2 weeks and the past several days I noticed that some of the lower leaves on several of the plants have been eaten or chewed at until only about one half of the leaf is left. What action should I take? Drexel Burdine – Spanaway, WA
A. First thing to do is identify the insect that is causing the damage. My first thought is root weevils (or Black Vine Weevils: see weevil image) that attack other evergreens like Rhododendrons. Adults feed at night so they may not be visible by day. Move around the soil litter around the base of the shrub and you may find them. Their larvae in the soil below also feed on the roots providing the plant with a double whammy. Beneficial nematodes are one solution but the soil temperatures should be above 52 degrees and they are starting to dropping below that level. Another option would be a neem oil drench. which you could apply now. Then in the spring once the soil warms up again (above 50 degrees) go in with the nematodes to give them a double whammy back and keep the larvae from becoming adults. The neem oil drench would also help control another potential culprit – the cutworm.
