What's eating my geranium sanguineum?

Geranium sanguineum (bloody cranesbill) is a tough, compact plant with relatively few pest problems. Vine weevil is the main concern, especially in containers. Slugs and snails graze young spring shoots. Capsid bugs occasionally distort leaf tips. Its dense, deeply lobed foliage and trailing habit give it good resilience.

Larvae feed on roots and the crown, causing plants to wilt and die; particularly damaging in pots. Adult beetles produce characteristic notching around leaf margins at night. Drench with nematodes (Steinernema kraussei) in late summer while soil is warm and moist. Check roots during division; remove any white C-shaped grubs.

Holes and ragged leaf edges on emerging spring shoots, with slime trails; damage is usually limited to young growth at soil level. Scatter ferric phosphate pellets in spring. Remove mulch and debris from around crowns where slugs shelter during the day. Ground cover geraniums usually grow away from damage.

Pin-prick holes and tattered, distorted young leaves in early summer caused by feeding toxins; affects shoot tips most severely. Remove overwintering weed hosts nearby. Spray with pyrethrin in the evening when capsid bugs are active if damage is severe.