What's eating my kniphofia 'alcazar'?

Kniphofia 'Alcazar' (red hot poker) is vulnerable to slugs and snails attacking the crown in wet weather, which can kill whole plants. Thrips mark flower spikes with silver streaking during dry spells. Aphids congregate on developing stems. Good drainage, crown mulching with grit, and spring slug control are the key protective measures for this cultivar.

Crown rot and eaten leaf bases; damaged plants become vulnerable to secondary fungal infection. Apply ferric phosphate pellets each spring and autumn; mulch crowns with grit; avoid excessive moisture.

Fine silver flecking and streaking across flower petals and leaf surfaces in dry, hot periods. Increase irrigation during drought; spray with neem oil; introduce predatory mites as biocontrol.

Dense soft colonies on flower stems; sticky honeydew, leaf distortion, sooty mold. Dislodge with water jets; apply insecticidal soap; encourage natural predators in the garden.