Noticed today there was a teardrop shaped hole in my main stem, I poked a stick into it and found it was hollowed out inside. I checked again earlier and the hole was kinda filled in with sawdust, so it seems something's living in there. Anyone any ideas what's living in my plant and how to kill it? Seeing as its inside the stem it seems like it could be pretty tricky...
Really? it seems pretty serious, I mean if it eats any more it could kill the whole plant surely? I had a couple plants outside a few years ago that died from a similar looking thing...
Try to get some BT/spinosad it might be some type of borer, there's a couple insects that could do that. Some will eat there way up the stem then go back down. The plant will collapse and die.
Shit. I have noticed a fair few insects on and around them but wasn't too worried as most of them die. I guess the can't handle the stone haha. My friend has some tomato insecticide but am worried about using that on something I'm gonna smoke. Should I try getting some of it diluted and into the hole?
Seems like you were right - I got a thin stick and I could push it a good 5-6cm up the stem. Seems like something's burrowing upwards. Just what I need halfway through flowering. I turned her upside down and poured a load of insecticide in the hole, then rammed the stick up there a few times for good measure. I'd rather damage the plant a bit than have a fucking thing eating it from the inside out. Any chance she'll pull through?? FUUUUUUUCCCKKK
I had this same problem, it was a caterpillar and it was causing everything above the hole it made to droop and die. So what I did was take a razor blade, cut from the hole either up or down depending on where you think the creature lies, it wont hurt your plant much, once you get the culprit out you need to wrap the wound with tape or something so the plant can repair itself Sent from my 5054N using Tapatalk
This. You need to act quick to save the plant. It can still survive. Just have to be careful not to get stem rot from the open wound. A good wrapping will help. Had this happen on a huge plant 2 years ago. It was too late to save. The bastard hollowed out the entire stem. The plant couldn't support its weight. Toppled over, got a new canna straw though.
Thanks for the advice, didn't think if this. I found another smaller hole higher up the stem and cut there first with a razor blade. The stem wasn't hollowed out above the higher hole so I cut at the bottom hole and the stem was fine below that one. So I cut between the holes and opened the stem: As you can see, nothing in there. However the stem had been seriously hollowed out. I can only guess that after I poured diluted insecticide into the hole yesterday whatever was in there decided to get the fuck out and made the top hole to escape. Annoying that I had to damage the plant more but at least I know. As the plant was already in a sorry looking state before I cut it I'm not too hopeful of it pulling through but we'll see. If it doesn't I'll try smoking it anyway haha. I wrapped the stem up tightly with string: My other plant looks like its dying too and I have no idea why, checked the stem but no bug holes. Really annoying after them surviving this long and all I've put them through. Worst part is I don't now what's wrong with this one: It's got even worse since this pic, most of the upper colas are almost completely brown and dead looking )': it happened so quick too, about 6 days ago they were both perfectly healthy.. Anyway, thanks for the help guys