Why are Plant Leaves Curled Up? Central Texas Gardener Daphne Richards

>> HELLO AND WELCOME TO DOWN TO EARTH. OUR QUESTION THIS WEEK WAS SENT IN BY MICHELLE HAS SOME PHOTOS OF HER VINCA, WHICH ARE HAVING SOME ISSUES. SHE WANTS TO KNOW WHAT'S MAKING THE LEAVES ON HER VINCA FOLD UP. WELL, FROM THE PHOTOS THAT I SEE, I CAN DEFINITELY SAY THAT THESE ARE LEAF ROLLERS. IF YOU UNFOLD THE LEAVES, YOU WILL EITHER SEE FRASS, WHICH MEANS THAT THE INSECTS HAVE ALREADY PUPATED AND ARE NOW FEEDING OR HAVE FED AND GONE, OR YOU'LL SEE THE PUPA, WHICH LOOKS LIKE WEBBING. YOU MAY ALSO SEE THE LITTLE CULPRIT HIMSELF, AND HE DOES LOOK JUST LIKE A SMALL CATERPILLAR. THESE LEAF ROLLERS ARE SMALL CATERPILLARS. THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT SPECIES OF MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES THAT HAVE LARVAE WITH THIS TYPE LEAF ROLLING GROWTH STRATEGY. UNLIKE SOME MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES, LEAF ROLLERS ARE NOT TERRIBLY HOST SPECIFIC, SUCH AS YOUR MONARCH AND YOUR MILKWEED, WHICH ONLY FEED ON THAT PLANT. I SAW SOME LEAF ROLLERS ON MY BUDDLEJA IN THE EARLY SPRING OF THIS YEAR, SO THOSE WERE OBVIOUSLY A DIFFERENT SPECIES BECAUSE OF THE TIME WILLING THAN THIS ONE THAT'S OCCURRING NOW. I CONSULTED MY COLLEAGUE, WIZZIE BROWN, OUR ENTOMOLOGIST, AND SHE SAYS THAT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE SEEING QUITE A FEW LEAF ROLLERS ON VINCA PLANTS. ONE SUBSTANCE THAT WORKS VERY WELL ON ALL CATERPILLARS IS BT. BUT WHEN I HAVE LEAF ROLLERS, UNLESS IT'S A VERY BAD INFESTATION, I JUST LIVE AND LET LIVE, ESPECIALLY ON A MATURE PLANT WHICH RECOVERS VERY EASILY. YOU CAN ALSO USE A CONTACT INSECTICIDE, CONTAINING SPINOSAD OR NEEM OR YOU CAN YOU A SYSTEMIC THAT'S LABELED FOR THE CATERPILLARS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL. ANOTHER OPTION IS SIMPLY TO REMOVE THOSE LEAVES AND TOSS THEM OUT. ON A SMALL TO MEDIUM INFESTATION, THAT'S PROBABLY YOUR BEST OPTION. ON A LARGE INFESTATION YOU MAY TRY TO REMOVE ALL OF THE INFESTED LEAVES AND LET THE PLANT RECOVER. THOSE INFESTED LEAVES WON'T RECOVER ANYWAY, BUT PRUNING A PLANT WILL ENCOURAGE IT TO PUT ON NEW GROWTH. OUR PLANT THIS WEEK IS SILVER LEAF PONYFOOT DICHONDRA ARGENTEA. IT'S A GREAT GROUND COVER, IT'S EVERGREEN AND IT'S GROWN FOR ITS BEAUTIFUL SILVER, LIGHT GREEN FOLIAGE, IT HAS A WONDERFUL WAY OF CREEPING ALONG THE GROUND AND QUICKLY FILING IN SPACE. IT ALSO LOOKS GREAT IN A CONTAINER AS THE SHORT ELEMENT; IT CASCADES BEAUTIFULLY OVER THE EDGE OF CONTAINERS. IT'S LOW WATER USE, IT CAN HANDLE LIGHT SHADE OR FILTERED SUN UNDER TREES AND IT ALSO LOVES THE FULL SUN. TO DO THIS WEEK IN YOUR GARDEN, YOU NEED TO START FOR A BROWN PATCH, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE ST. AUGUSTINE. OUR NIGHTTIME TEMPERATURES ARE COOLING OFF AND THE ENVIRONMENT IS PERFECT FOR THIS DISEASE TO TAKE OFF. ALSO, YOU NEED TO PRACTICE GOOD CULTURALLY CONTROLS, WATER ONLY IN THE EARLY MORNING AND MOW EVERY 5 TO 7 DAYS OR MORE OFTEN IF WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF RAINFALL AND THE GRASS IS GROWING QUICKLY. WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU, PLEASE VISIT KLRU.ORG/CTG TO SEND US YOUR QUESTION OR A PLANT OF THE WEEK FROM YOUR GARDEN.