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| Hi,
For many years we had the standard blue/purple balloon flower growing in a side bed. A few years ago a couple white seedlings sprouted and we moved them to a different part of the garden. This year both of the white balloon flower plants are completely defoliated. The blue/purple ones are fine. Any idea what it could be? The only thing we did to the platycodon is pinch them early in the season so they grow more bushy and not topple over. We did this to the blue/purple ones too though and they are fine. Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, May 19, 12 at 7:05
| if you see no bugs during the day.. go out at night with a flashlight ... something has to be eating it ... and until we know what it is.. we can not recommend a solution i put no significance in why white and not blue.. other than the bug is by the white ... another option is a picture ken |
Here is a link that might be useful: how to post pix
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| Perhaps rabbits, though why only the white, I don't know. Cutworms will cut off foliage from stems if the stem is too thick to cut through. As Ken suggested a flashlight after dusk may catch them or a gentle sifting of the soil if it si loose around the base of the plant may find them. |
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- Posted by ghoghunter Zone6b SE PA (My Page) on Sun, May 20, 12 at 16:53
| I vote for slugs! Joann |
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- Posted by prairiemoon2 zone 6a/MA (My Page) on Sun, May 20, 12 at 18:38
| I had a problem similar to that and believe it or not, when I went out with a flashlight, I found earwigs were eating foliage like crazy. I don't know why I had so many but I had them two years running and then not really much since then. I would definitely go out with a flashlight. |
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| Thanks for the help. I haven't had a chance to look at it at night. Here are pics I took yesterday.
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- Posted by ghoghunter Zone6b SE PA (My Page) on Sun, May 27, 12 at 5:29
| Any chance you have a groudhog? |
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| nah, I would definitely notice a groundhog. as mentioned previously, we clipped the tips of the plants so they'd grow bushier (like we do every year). could that have exposed it to damaging agents? |
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