What's eating my pelargonium 'mrs pollock'?

Pelargonium 'Mrs Pollock', a tricolour zonal geranium prized for its ornate foliage, is most threatened by aphids and vine weevil. Outdoors, caterpillars and geranium sawfly larvae can skeletonise leaves. Whitefly may appear in warm summers. The striking variegated leaves make pest damage and honeydew deposits especially conspicuous.

Sticky, curled growing tips; sooty mould on the ornamental tricolour leaves; clusters of insects visible. Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; repeat weekly; remove the worst-affected shoot tips promptly.

Plant collapses; grubs found destroying the roots in the compost. Nematode drench (Steinernema kraussei) applied to damp compost in late summer or early autumn.

Ragged holes in leaves; caterpillars found on or beneath the foliage, especially at night. Hand-pick; apply Bacillus thuringiensis-based spray to foliage; check plants regularly through summer.

Skeletonised, lacy leaves from larvae feeding on the underside. Inspect regularly from May; remove larvae by hand; spray with pyrethrum or spinosad if numbers build up.