[Rebecca]

Thanks Carol. I was going to try the warehouse first, hadn’t thought of Bunnings but yes of course.

[Rebecca]

That’s a good warning to read about – I was thinking of getting same for frost then wasp protection.

Where did you buy it, and do you have product details? At least the first 2 maybe so I know what to avoid.
Manufacturer
Country of origin
Materials used?

thanks, Rebecca.

[Rebecca]

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve potted another 6 small plants this morning (rinsed first) and I’ll definitely soak any cuttings I bring inside. I’ve just been checking the ones indoors, tweezering aphids off the stems (yes I’m obsessive) – no spiders.

I’ll definitely need more plants. I’ve counted on the two plants at least one 20mm caterpillar, ten 10mm, maybe 3 or 4 smaller and I think there could still be a few more eggs.

[Rebecca]

Thanks, I’ll try that, I’ve got some tiny plants sprouting down near my fence.

[Rebecca]

Thanks for the suggestion I’ve put them in a good spot indoors and I have a feeling there’s more cats on the plants than I thought. I’m about to post a plea for more nettles this Sunday at Butterfly Day, wish me luck!

[Rebecca]

I nearly forgot to say: I inspected the plants more closely, definitely at least 2 caterpillars. Worried about how to protect them now. The area with self-sown nettles is shaded by a bushy ornamental plum, on the south side of a north fence – i.e. minimal sun. Not sure if I should put the pots there and net them off?

[Rebecca]

I’ve had no success with trying indoor germination for Swan plants but with EVERY other seed and/or seedling (and especially when re-potting Swan plants) I’ve used Organic Biofeed* – follow the label instructions – dilute 1:20, soak seedling in solution for at least 10 minutes before transplanting then water in with the solution. I also get berserk leaf regrowth from regular use on potted or garden bed Swan plants.

* the warehouse has it cheapest I think.

[Rebecca]

Hi ephiny – I had a similar problem, posted and got a reply from Norm the keymaster. He thought it might be poisoning with mine, either spray drift or systemic pesticide in the plant (half of mine are new this season). But I also read about the plant toxins being more concentrated if they’re dehydrated or the leaves are all new. Yours might be a different problem to mine, I think mine was that caterpillars that were fine on one plant got a sap overload when I moved them to a different plant, one that still had foliage.

Sorry to hear about all your caterpillars, it’s a dreadful thing to see. Good luck narrowing it down.

[Rebecca]

Thank you, it’s good to hear from someone with more experience. It’s definitely time to clear the frass, wash the plants, move and net them – I saw a bright new monarch today but it didn’t linger (maybe because I only have potted stumps right now).

*sad* Unfortunately the last 15 cats on the one plant are all badly poisoned and some of the ones I moved to newer plants didn’t recover, too much exposure. Odd, its just 2 plants side by side although I had a ring of 10 plants there, and only in the last fortnight. I’ll keep those 2 aside for next season.

Thanks again. The poisoned caterpillars were awful but the ones on plants inside and the ones already pupating should be OK (fingers crossed).

[Rebecca]

Oh, and another question about the frass – overcrowded plants means piles of poop around the base of each plant; should I be attempting to clear some of it away, or just leave it and mulch?

[Rebecca]

Hiya, read your post and signed up as maybe I can help? I’m in Woolston I was given 2 seedlings which I planted in the garden, ended up with 8 cats (I thought that was lots!) so went to Mitre10Mega Ferrymead who had loads of seedlings. They’re probably out of stock now but I still have 6 plants indoors, 2 plants outside, and only 6 cats – one plant each! Maybe I can rehome/spoil some caterpillars? If you happen to be out and about tomorrow (Sat 28th) I’ll be one of the crew at the Woolston Gala in Woolston Park on Ferry Road, come find me.

[Author]

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