I was pottering about in the garden on Saturday, looking for excuses to use my new secateurs. I spied the ropy looking heuchera and thought I’d tidy them up. They had other ideas, however, when I grabbed hold to make cutting back easier, the whole thing came away in my hand. I’m not totally sure what did for them, but vine weevils are partial to a heuchera root, so they are my leading suspects. Outrageous!
When I finished indignantly cursing them I noticed that some of the stem portions had developed teeny roots. The plant’s last gasp attempt to cling on to this mortal coil. Oi oi, said I, an opportunity for more plants, not to be passed up lightly.
Off I went to the potting bench. I put each rooted stem in a 7cm pot, John Innes No 3, second hand from the recently departed chillies. I should probably have used fresh compost, but I confess I was lazy. Each was suspended with one hand above the pot while the other hand lightly filled the pot with JI3. A sharp tap on the bench and a gentle firm down is enough, no need to jam the compost in.
After a good watering in, these nine little potential plants went off to the greenhouse and settled in for a couple of months of R&R.
I’ll be back soon with more propagation piffle.
The Propagator 
A vole or voles did that to one of mine! They killed it though. We do not have weevils that eat them here.
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Hmmm! You mentioned that these were in a container. So you found over-wintering grubs, yes? I’d be more tempted by the possibility of crown rot, to which heuchera are susceptible (never cover the crown with mulch, don’t over water, don’t plant too deep – nor too shallow which causes other problems – and all that jazz). If you want to try nematodes now, you’d need to keep the plants in a greenhouse at a minimum temp of 5C of course.
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No sign actually, so may be rot.
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Same thing here last week with a tiarella in a pot. Could have sworn I dosed it with Provado! They seem to have left alone the ones planted in the border though. They favour fuchsias too. Will resume the chemical warfare in the spring when the soil warms up.
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I won’t engage in chemical warfare but am not above a little biological warfare. You can buy nematodes thst eat vine weevils. Not expensive.
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I find mulching the compost of containers with horticultural grit greatly removes the risk of weevils attacking heucheras in pots. Also check newly puchased ones for the little blighters, especially those purchased from the cheaper end of the horticultural world
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I used the nematodes this year. The first time when I found some vine weevils in a potted Aeonium and then a repeat dousing the recommended time later. End of vine weevils (for this year anyway). Harder if they’re in the soil though. Fingers crossed for the plantlets
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I’ve never been troubled by them till now. These heuchera were in a planter actually, so I could use nematodes. I think I’ll get a dose done for all the containers.
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The same thing happened to me with a heuchera but I didn’t check for little roots sprouting anew. I will definitely look next time……..the vine weevil will make sure there is a next time for sure!
Let us know if these babies make it.😀
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I shall!
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