Red Weevil in Spanish Palm Trees

Gardening Forum - Discuss the red palm tree weevil

The Red Weevil has been making its way to the western world since the mid 80s. It was captured in Egypt in 1992 and then seen in Spain in 1994, it is thought that the Red Weevil made its way to Spain from Egypt by way of human intervention, by being transported on date palm trees.

The Red Weevil is starting to cause havoc on Palm Trees across the Spanish region, unfortunately the Red Weevil's devastating effects are only noticeable when it is too late and the Palm Tree is dead. The late detection of the weevil constitutes a serious problem in the fight against the Red Weevil pest. Although, much research has been carried out, no safe techniques for early detection of the pest have been found.

Despite the attempts to kill these pests more than one thousand Phoenix Palm Trees have been killed and it has cost millions of euros in damage and is continuing to spread.

The Red Weevil originated in southern Asia and Melanesia, where it is a serious pest of coconuts. In 1985 the Red Weevil had reached the eastern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, spreading to the whole of the United Arab Emirates and into Oman. It was recorded in Iran in 1990 before being discovered in Egypt at the end of 1992, it is also found in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority Territories.

The red palm weevil is a member of Coleoptera: Curculionidae. The male and female adults are large reddish brown beetles about 3 cm long and with a characteristic long curved rostrum; with strong wings, they are capable of undertaking long flights.

It is the larvae that produce the damage to the palm. Adult females lay about 200 eggs at the base of young leaves or in wounds to the leaves and trunks; the grubs feed on the soft fibers and terminal bud tissues. They reach a size of more than 5 cm before pupation. Just before they pupate, they move towards the interior of the palm making tunnels and large cavities. They can be found in any place within the palm, even in the very base of the trunk where the roots emerge.

Pupation occurs generally outside the trunk, at the base of the palms. The larva pupates in a cocoon made of brown dried palm fibres.

Have you found this red palm weevil in any of your palm trees - let me know your story, I would love to hear from you. We are running a discussion about Red Palm Tree Weevils on our gardening forum.

Gardening Definitions (G-I)

Genus
The category in botanical classification below family. A genus is a group closely related plants known as species. All the species of beech trees (for example), are grouped under the genus Fagus. Related genera are grouped in turn into a family, in this case Fagaceae. The common beech is identified by a genus and a species name, Fagus sylvatica. A natural variety is identified by a third name, such as Fagus sylvatica var. heterophylla, and a cultivated variety (or cultivar) by quotation marks, as Fagus sylvatica 'Dawyck'. A cross (or hybrid) between two species is identified by a multiplication sign: for example, the hybrid willow Salix x rubens
Germination
The initial stage of a plant's development from a seed. Germination periods vary: given the right conditions of temperature, moisture, light and oxygen, it may occur within days or take weeks or months.
Glabrous
Smooth or bare - used to describe a part of a plant that is hairless.

Glaucous
Describing the grey-blue colour of some plants, or the grey or white waxy bloom on them. An example is the white bloom on the leaves of some brasicas, particularly cabbages, and succulents such as sedums.

Grafting
Propogation plants by joining a stem or bud of one plant to the root of another so they unite to form a new individual. It is widely used in cultivating fruit trees and roses.

Habit
The characteristic shape and growth form of a plant.

Half Hardy
Frost tender species of plants that can only be grown in the open reliably during summer - for example, canna and French and African marigolds.

Half Standard
A tree or shrub, usually with a single stem growing 75cm-1.2m high before the head branches.

Hardening Off
The gradual acclimatisation of tender and half hardy plants, grown under heated glass or other forms of protection, to outside conditions. Plants are usually placed in a coldframe in late spring, with air gradually admitted until the lights of the frame are left off entirely.

Hardy
Plants which survive frosts in the open, year by year.

Herbaceous
Any plant that does not form a persistent woody stem. Botanically, the terms applies to annuals, biennials and perennials - but by common usage is chiefly associated with perennials which die down in autumn and reappear the following spring.

Hose in Hose
An abnormal floral mutation in which flowers appear to grow in pairs, one arising from the centre of another. Primrose and polyanthus are examples.

Humus
The dark brown residue from the final breakdown of dead vegetable matter. The term is often used to describe partly decayed matter that is brown and crumbly, such as well made compost or leaf mould.

Hybrid
The result of crossing two distinct varities or, occasionally, genera. Hybrids may either show a blending of characteristics from each parent or favour one more than the other.

Incised
The margins of the leaf, stipule or bract that is deeply and sharply toothed or lobed.

Inflorescence
The arrangement of flowers on a stem, often referred to as a flowerhead.

Inorganic
A chemical compound or fertiliser that does not contain carbon. The term is applied to synthetically produced fertilisers, although some naturally occurring plant nutrients have inorganic origins, as, for example, the mineral fertiliser rock phosphate.

NEW Gardening Forum for Spain

Campo Girls & Hoes launch their first Forum for the Spanish gardening community!

Gardening Spain & Forum

This is a new forum that we have just started this week and we look forward to meeting new people, we have some members from the USA already (as we share similar climiates to some parts of America).

As much as we love writing the blog and keeping up with the gardening community we needed room to grow and a Gardening Forum seemed the perfect opportunity for us to do just that - we will keep up with the blog but also continue to work on the forum.

We look forward to seeing you all and please do come and introduce yourself!

Technical Stuff - Gardening Abbreviations (D-F)

Gardening Abbreviations (A-C)


Before we head on into the Glossary for Gardening - I wanted to post the link to Jeremy Clarkson's Gardening Tips :D

Damping Down
Watering the floor and benches of a greenhouse to create a humid atmosphere.

Deadheading
Nipping off the dead or faded flowers from a plant to prevent seeding and to encourage new flowers. Roses and many bedding plants need regular deadheading.

Dicotyledon
All flowering plants are botanically classified into two main groups by the number of cotyledons (seed leaves) present in the seed at maturity. Monocotyledons have one seed leaf, dicotyledons have two.

Dioecious
Plants having male and female flowers on separate plants, such as willow and holly.

Disc
The flattened or doomed centre of a daisy flower, composed of tiny tubular florets.

Dot Plant
An isolated specimen plant - usually tall - in a formal flowerbed, selected to emphasise contrast in height, colour and texture.

Drill
A straight, narrow, furrow in which seeds are sown outdoors.

Epiphyte
A plant, such as an orchid or bromeliad, which has adapted to living above the soil, adhering to tree branches or rocks.

Ericaceous
A term used for plants that grow best in acid soil, such as ericas (heather). Also used to refer to lime-free compost used for growing ericaceous plants.

Etiolated
Growth which has become long, thin and pallid because of lack of light or as a result of blanching - as in forcing rhubarb.

Eye
Immature growth bud, such as the eyes of potato or dahlia tubers. The term is also used to describe the centre of a flower if it is different in colour from the petals.

F.Hybrid
Seeds obtained by crossing two pure bred closely related varieties which have been inbred for several generations. The plants produced tend to have an increased level of vigour and uniformity.

Fastigate
Erect habit of growth developed by some trees and shrubs, such as Lombardy poplars.

Feathered
Lateral shoots on the main stem of a young tree. They are left on the tree until the trunk is fully established - about a year or two - when they must be removed.

Floret
A small individual flower which is part of a large head or cluster.

Flower
The part of a plant concerned with sexual reproduction. The essential parts are the female ovaries (or carpels), which eventually bear the seeds, and the anthers which produce pollen, the male sex cells. The carpels and anthers are usually surrounded by an inner ring of coloured leaves, known as petals, and an outer ring of protecting sepals, usually green. There are, however, a great many variations to this basic pattern. The great majority of plants bear flowers with both male and female organs, but others have single sex flowers on separate plants (dioecious).

Fruiting Body
The reproductive organ of a fungus, such as a mushroom or toadstool. Also the pin-head-like growth on bread mould.

Fumigate
A system of destroying pests and diseases to a greenhouse or coldframe with poisonous fumes. Canisters or pellets are ignited to produce dense smoke.

Still raining!

Well what a storm we are having at the moment, one of my Palm Trees has snapped and I am a little upset about that - especially as they are brand new!

Some of my other plants down the bottom of the garden are not having a great time with this wind either and looking rather beaten!

It is most unusual to have rain in Spain at this time of year and it has been really treacherous, I had to drive to Casabermeja (well, their post code is Almogia) yesterday to visit an old friend who was having some family troubles - anyway I couldn't have picked a worse day to drive over 80 Kilometres, Casabermeja is really high and I was quite scared driving up the mountainside where the roads have no crash barriers - just sheer drops and lorries coming at me every few minutes, never mind the fact I could hardly see 2 foot in front me because of the mist/fog that was coming down the mountain. An achievement for me as that is the furthest I have driven in Spain ever on my own!

I made it home safe and sound though and I just love the scenery up there, we almost moved there 2 years ago and now I have just been back I am glad we didn't! As lovely gorgeous as the countryside is there, it is just that too much away from civilisation for my liking, we have a track but it is not 5 kilometres long!

So, due to the rain we have not been doing the gardening that we would have liked to be doing, Gina took some great pictures though of what she says is a "perfect rose" - what do you think, post in your comments on her Rose.

We are in the middle of upgrading our Flickr account that contains all of our Spanish Gardening Images - when that is complete we will let you know so you can see the new ones we have taken :)

EEEK - it's raining!

After a wonderful weekend gardening with nice weather to top that off, we had a real downpour today, it was like Winter all over again!

The rain was lashing everything around the garden and the palm trees were almost touching the floor, it was such a change around from the day before.

We did, however, manage to get out in the garden, I tended to a Passionflower that is growing over an Olive Tree that I have at the end of the garden (near the bar), and was really pleased to see that it is a different plant to the purple passionflower I have growing over the fence by the pool - while all this activity was happening in my garden, the other Campo Girl; Gina, was being entertained by a rat!

Due to the heavy rain the rat thought to himself "bugger this, I am going indoors!" and proceeded to try and get into Gina's house - luckily for us Gina grabbed the camera and managed to get a great picture for us to share with you all - we present to you

CAMPO GIRLS RAT - RONALDO! :D

Technical Stuff - Abbreviations

We try to avoid as many technical terms wherever possible, but sometimes they are unavoildable and manage to slip into the posts - the definitions below will help make them clear.

Alpine
Any plant that is native to montainous regions (as a general rule), growing between the tree line and permanent snow line. 'Alpine' is also loosely applied to any small plant suitable for growing in a rock garden.

Alpine House
A greenhouse that has continuous ventilation along the eaves, vents at a bench level and, ideally, a door at each end. Not heat is necessary; however, as alpine plants dislike cold wet conditions, some growers maintain their alpine houses at 1ºC (34ºF).

Annual
We al have these in our garden! A plant that completes its life cycle in a sungle growing season - from seed to floweing, to setting seed and dying.

Basal Leaves
Leaves arising directly from the crown of a plant or a very short stem.

Biennal
A plant which takes two seasons to complete its life cycle - i.e., the foxglove. In its first year it forms leaves; in its second year ir forms flowers and seeds, then dies.

Bract
A modified leaf which is sometimes brightly coloured and conspicuous to attract pollinating insects, such as the scarlett bracts of poinsettia.

Bulb Frame
A coldframe in which bulbs in pots can be plunged in sand, soil or gravel for winter to protect them from frost. A blub frame can be used instead of an alpine house.

Capsule
The dry or nearly dry fruit containing loose seeds. When the capsule is ripe the seeds may be shaken out by the action of the wind or passing animals, or it may split, forcibly rejecting the seeds.

Chitting
Sprouting tubers, particularly potatoes and dahlias, before planting. Also applied to seeds germinated before sowing.

Chlorosis
The loss or insufficiency of chlorophyll - the green pigment in the cells of leaves and young stems. The lack of chlorophyll causes the leaves to appear bleached or yellowish. Chlorosis is usually due to mineral deficiency, but viruses may be a cause.

Cloche
Sheets of clear glass, rigid or plastic film that are used for raising early crops in open ground, and for protecting plants from bad weather - alpines, for example.

Clone
A group of identicial plants raised from a single parent plant by cuttings or division rather than by seed.

Compost
A mixture of loam, sand, peat, leaf-mould or other materials used for growing plants in containers. The term also refers to organic material obtained by stacking plant remains such as vegetable trimmings, straw and grass mowings until they decompose.

Compound
Leaves, flowers or fruits having two or more similar units.

Conifer
Tree or shrub, usually evergreen and having linear or needle-like leaves, and which usually bears its seeds in cones.

Corm
The underground storage organ of some plants, including crocuses and gladioli. Similar to a bulb, it consists of a swollen stem at the top which produces shoots and a new corm.

Corona
The trumpet or cup like flower part of such genera as Narcissus and Hymenocallis.

Cotyledon
The first leaf or pair of leaves to appear when a seed germinates. They are also called seed leaves because they are formed within the seed. In some cases, such as the broad bean, the seed leaves remain underground - the first shoot to appear bears the true leaves. Seed leaves frequently differ in shape from true or adult leaves.

Crown
The part of an herbaceous perennial at soil level from which roots and shoots grow.

Cultivar
Cultivated variety; a variant of a plant produced in cultivation as opposed to one that occurs in the wild.

D-F coming next week - anything you would like to add to our garden abbreviations?

Cyclamen - Lets get elegant!

Elegant flowers in shades of pink, mauve, crimson or white rise above rounded or heart-shaped leaves, often finely marbled with silver or white. We both love our Cyclamens and both have them growing in our gardens - I have favoured the Cyclamen for my borders where I have a few bare spaces against my rockery.

The flowers have reflexed petals, gracefully curved backwards, and many are fragrant. By carefully selecting species according to flowering period, these beautiful, lowe growing plants can be in bloom during most months of the year, and their patterned foliage sustains a long period of interest. Not all are hardy but several of the finest are fully hardy, flowering even in the depths of winter.

The hardy Cyclamen are excellent for naturalising in groups among trees and shrubs. They thrive in sun or part shade. A border devoted to one species can be an interesting and colourful feature in the garden. Cyclamen are also good for pockets in a rock garden (like mine) or for growing in troughs and containers. The less hardy types are perfect for pot culture in an unheated greenhouse.

The rootstock of the Cyclamen plant is a tuber, with leaves and flowers borne from the upper surface. Dried tubers are often sold, but planting is more successful from plants 'in the green' - growing in pots - as the tubers can dry out too much.

There are 20 species, which are mainly native to central and S Europe, the Mediterranean and Turkey eastwards to the Caucasus and N Iran.

Recommended Species and Varieties
C. Africanum
C.Cilicium
C. Album
C. Europaeum
C. Graceum
C. Hederifolium
C. Intaminatum
C. Latifolium
c. Libanoticum
C. Mirabile
C. Neapolitanum
C. Persicum
C. Pseudibericum
C. Purpurascens
C. Repandum
C. Trohopteranthum

Propogation
Sow seed as soon as it is ripe - in mid to late summer. Older, dried seed germinates eventually, particularly if given a soak in warm water for 12 hours before sowing. Place the sown pots in complete darkness to speed germinatation and move them into the light as soon as germination has occurred. Prick out the seedlings when the first true leaf appears. Alternatively, leave the pots for a year, then prise the small tubers apart and pot them up individually.

Pests and Diseases
The prime pests of Cyclamen are aphids, vine weevils and root eelworms. Diseases include bacterial rot of the tubers and virus diseases; in these cases infected plants should be destroyed. Grey mould may attack fading flowers or leaves, especially autumn and winter. Any portion infected should be removed to prevent the spread of the disease to other parts of the plant, especially the others surrounding it.

Have you got any Cyclamens growing in your garden - any other tips you want to share that we have missed? Please do tell us :)

Cyclamen Tip
Never water your Cyclamen from the top, always water and let the Cyclamen drink from the bottom - otherwise you may kill him!

What a week

Well, we have had a busy week planting and weeding, our plam trees arrived that were given to my husband from his brother - Dan (the other hoe's son) started his new job on Saturday morning working 3 hours every week, helping us in the garden.

They had some initial problems digging the hole! Where we decided to place the palms is a rocky area at the back of our garden which is a lovely spot for the palms and some cactus but it is very rocky and the soil could be better, although, now it is all weeded (thanks to Dan!) the plants will have some room to breathe and grow now - lots of water and perhaps some compost this weekend - we should be rocking!

He was bought 2 palm trees (2 are 15 feet tall) and then 2 small ones (which we plan on putting into pots), along with cactus and an Aloe Vera.

This back garden is not very well protected (security wise) so we thought cactus would be a great way of deterring the robbers - let's face it would you walk through a load of cactus to steal a TV or would you go next door where you can just walk through the gate? I know which I would choose.

Gina's strawberries are growing strong and she should have some lovely fruit very soon - mine are struggling a bit, the plants themselves look good but the fruit is very small and I need more straw because they are starting to rot! My tomatoes are also drooping every day and I am watering them, the tomatoes are gorgeous and tasty though - complete opposite to the strawberries!

Got any good tips for growing strawberries? Please share them ;)

Along with the tomatoes, cactus, palms, strawberries we also planted an avocado tree and a graepfruit - again the avocado does not look happy since we have taken him out of his pot - he is irrigated well every day, surrounded by good old horse poo and still he is weeping - I am sure that it is because he has only just been moved from his pot and sometimes plants take time to settle into their new home.