Hello, I'm new to growing MGs. The seedlings emerged not long ago, but I'm worried because something appears to be eating them! Does anyone know what eats MGs? Should I be worried, or will they survive? Is there anything I can do? Thanks... Here's a picture:
And here's another pic:
It wasn't me!
LOL :-)
It looks like snails or slugs. Throw out some snail bait.
Hopefully someone has a more comprehensive answer than mine, but - based on just my own experience, I've had seedlings emerge in the past only to disappear. Since I don't have that problem when I surround young seedlings with chickenwire cylinders when I plant them out, my guess is that it's a critter with 4 paws or a very busy beak.
Oops - hi Karen - we crossed in cyberspace
Karen
They seem to prefer the cotyledons, so the vines ought to be ok if they don't chomp the leading tip of the vine. They are eating from the leaf edge, do slugs do that? Looks more like a beetle or caterpillar did it.
http://www.btinternet.com/~micka.wffps/leaf1.html
Are there any shiny slime trails on the leaves? That would indicate a slug did the dirty deed.
Joseph
those darned grasshoppers make those chomping holes too, so do the caterpillars.
cats most definatly do i know i have fuzzy white ones who love my baby mgs
I have wondered before if the slugs, caterpillars,beetles and grasshoppers have a meeting each year and decide how much damage they can do as a team. :)
Thanks everyone for all the ideas!
It has been quite hot and dry here recently, and I see no slime or other trace of slugs, so I think we can tentatively rule those out.
The garden is adjacent to a large field which is adjacent to a forest, so we have *lots* of four-legged creatures (voles, ground squirrels, raccoons, deer, bunnies, ...?) so that is a distinct possibility - I just didn't think any of them would find morning glory leaves good eating! Quite a few of my small seedlings have mysteriously vanished as well. Oh well, I will try covering the ones that are left with some sort of a cloche and see if that helps.
If it's a beetle or caterpillar I'm not sure what to do... The growing tips were OK as of this morning, so maybe they'll make it. No sign of any caterpillars or bugs near the plants, during the day at least.
Thanks for the link Joseph, those are great pictures.
Just wanted to tell Gardener & Joseph that they do have to keep up their strength for things like fairy processions -
This one is labeled:
DoyleRichard_FairyProcession
from: http://lair2000.net/fairy_picture_download/1fae48.jpg
Richard Doyle was an English illustrator who lived between 1824 - 1883 - http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/doyle_richard.html
The darn chipmunks I have will eat anything from roses to marigolds!!! ☺
