Plants getting eaten by caterpillars

[acacian]

I recently turned my last surving plant into a whole bunch of cuttings which have really taken with spring finally being here. At a similar pace to their growth however is their consumption by these little green caterpillars.

Im sure they’re having a good time on the salvinorin but I’d like to have some for myself to enjoy. They’re doing quite a lot of damage and I’m not sure what to do about them. Every day I am finding them on the underside of the leaves and they’re leaving holes all over the foliage. I’ve attached some photos of the damage as well as a not so great photo of one of the caterpillars.

Wondering if any salvia growers here have experienced this issue and maybe might have some advice for how to move forward. I would like to avoid spraying any pesticides if possible.. but if push comes to shove I will take the necessary measure to keep them alive.

I’ve tried making a mote around the plants which doesn’t seem to be helping. I’m worried that since these are such new cuttings they are going to get demolished before they have a chance to get properly established.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Transform]

I'm no Salvia grower (at least, not divinorum), but my first thoughts are to keep removing the critters by hand (since you have a limited number of plants) and do with them as you will (fish/bird food?) Do you think your plants are robust enough to tolerate a good hosing down? That may save time if not water.

Having another kind of sage plant with tender leaves that you'd be happy to sacrifice for the sake of nature's cycles might be another option worth trying. It depends on how much you're bothered about these critters surviving.

Also, I'm wondering if they're something like wireworm (beetle) larvae rather than caterpillars per se.

 

[acacian]

The more mature ones should be ok with a hosing.. but I might just keep removing by hand for now.

A decoy sage.. that’s a great idea! Do you know of any sage that are particularly loved by insects? How close do you think they should be to the sally?

Hmm.. I will look into wireworm. I must admit they are different to any caterpillars I’ve seen and have a much shinier appearance. The segmented look to wireworm is quite similar actually.

 

[Transform]

I was thinking any of the smooth-leaved varieties, like a guaranitica hybrid, greggii, nemorosa, farinacea, splendens, etc. - but these are just the temperate-tolerant ones I know from my part of the world. You could well have a huge choice of other species where you are.

 

[acacian]

I might go have a look at a nursery soon.. I recall there being a few pretty looking species. I’ll get some photos

 

[_Trip_]

Plants like thyme and rosemary also help to keep critters away. Can't imagine how high those little caterpillars must of got.

 

[Transform]

OK, they're not necessarily click beetle larvae, since wireworms are soil borne:

How to Identify and Control Wireworms

Do you have a wireworm infestation? These damaging pests are tricky to tackle once they settle in. Follow this complete guide by horticultural expert Lorin Nielsen to stop them in their tracks.

www.epicgardening.com

It may be worth keeping a few to see what they turn into, if you can't find another more competent horticultural entomologist. I'm sure Australia will have its own retinue of insect life - beetles are probably the single most successful macroscopic lifeform on the planet in terms of diversity.

Beetle - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Good luck!