The Cydalima perspectalis is a real menace for the boxwood plants in the vivarium and gardens of the old continent.
The first report in Europe is dated back in 2007 in Germany. In the next years the parasite has continued to spread, reaching the year after France, Switzerland, UK and the Netherlands; in 2009 it was detected in Austria and in the Netherlands; Finally in July 2011 its first discovery in Italy, in Lombardy, in the province of Como.
Fearing the rapid spread, in 2007 it has been inserted from the EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant Protecion Organization) in the list of alert (Eppo alert list) where then it remained for more than three years.
In 2011, the reporting given was considered enough and therefore, in the absence of particular requirements from the EPPO member countries to combat the insect, it was deleted from the alert list.
Unfortunately, it is not extinguished. Fortunately this is not a quarantine pest, but the larvae that feed on the leaves of boxwood are due to large and substantial damage, physiological and economic.
Description and biology
The adult is a butterfly with a wingspan of 4 cm, and white wings with nuances of gold to purple and brown edges. The biological cycle in Europe is not yet clear: the first observations made in Germany and Italy seem to show that the insect performs four generations per year and it is able to spend the winter as a chrysalis on the plants.
The following year, during the month of March by reaching 20° C temperature, the development is completed; adults flicker and through spawning, they start the first generation.
The butterfly lives an average of 8 days and it can also fly for several kilometers.
Despite its excellent flying capacity the main cause of its diffusion in new areas, very distant from Those of origin, is the transportation of box trees coming from infested countries.
Eggs, large few millimeters, are laid in groups of 25-30, partially topped one on another, below the leaf page. Initially pale yellow almost transparent, they turn brown with ripening.
The yellowish green color larvae are characterized by black and white streaks bands along the body, they are also covered with sparse hairs which grow from black pustules present longitudinally on the body.
At maturity they reach 4 cm and they are the heads of major aesthetic damage, feeding on both the leaves and the sprouts.
High infestation levels can lead to the complete defoliation of the plants on which we note the presence of a dense network of silk threads. They take about 25 days to reach maturity and become a chrysalis.
Pupae measure 2 cm, and initially have a green color with black stripes along the dorsal part, then, with age, they become dark brown. They are well-hidden in the vegetation where, thanks to the silk threads, remain attached to the leaves for about 14 days, long enough to grow again in adults.
At the end of the third generation the chrysalis doesn’t mature right away, but it winters waiting for the spring favorable thermal conditions.
Prevention and defense
The prevention is currently limited to the control of incoming plants from contaminated countries.
You must verify that there are no clear signs of attacks, eggs, larvae or pupae over boxwood plants purchased.
When the insect has successfully colonized a new areal, spreading quickly, the only solution is to intervene with targeted insecticide treatments.
The fight against this defoliating can be biological, chemical or biotechnology.
They can be used natural products such as those made of Pyrethrum or Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki.
The chemical and biotechnological fight must be done using crop protection products authorized for the type of treatment mentioned.
Considering the many generations that this moth plays and the different stages of development achieved in a season, it could be very efficient a mixture between a biotechnological product (growth regulators, chitin inhibitors) along with anti knockdown insecticides.
The most appropriate time to carry out the treatments and prevent the damage is during the hatching of the eggs, or in the early stages of larval development.
What do we do here in Vivai Capecchi
Very well aware of the damage that a single infected plant can cause an entire garden, we take care of our products with a biological product containing Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki.
We work to prevent and treat this problem by following the insect’s biological cycle, working directly on the new generations.
Practically, when the insect feeds on plants treated with Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki, this latter produces the toxin that blocks the insect’s gut and rapidly leads to death.
The ideal conditions for this to happen exist only in those individuals that possess a digestive system with a pH greater than 9, that is only specific groups of animals as mosquitoes, Lepidoptera larvae and little else; all mammals are totally excluded (men, dogs and cats including), fish, birds and practically all the good insects including natural predators. This mechanism ensures that it is eliminated only the target insect, respecting any other form of animal life Present On the treated plants.
If you need further clarification Contact us Directly and we’ll provide you all the necessary data.
The first sun begins to peep to announce the imminent arrival of spring and, with its rays, warms the soil to stimulate growth and the first blooms of specimens of all kinds.
In respect of this wonder of nature, we want to dedicate ourselves to something unique, something that we cannot always accommodate in all the gardens, but that, by its mere presence, brings color, joy, light, and stresses the new life and rebirth symbolized by growth season after the winter hibernation.
We speak, indeed, of some individual items that, by themselves, can furnish and fascinate, with their colors, their grandeur and so special features.
Let’s start from the Kalmia (Kalmia Latifolia Olympic Fire); beautiful with its lush evergreen foliage, it has a rich flowering that goes from strong pink buds up to a more tender and soft version of the open flower, from late spring.
Durable, shiny and leathery, it likes direct sunlight, but also disdains the shade, which limits only its development. Milder at a young age, it becomes solid and strong as it grows.
Thirsty, especially during flowering, it requires care and attention practically all year round, however, giving great satisfaction to those who choose it.
Usually its small size is sold, but we are able to provide such unique plants in pots that reach heights of 250-300 cm, a rarity hard to find.
Another specimen that can possibly be used as a single element in a decor is the Cornus; we have a large number of specimens, from Florida, the Florida Rubra, the Florida Rainbow, the Kousa and even a hybrid between Florida and Florida Rubra!
Certainly not easy to grow (it takes years to get to interesting dimensions), it is very attractive as it evolves during the season. Between the late winter and early spring, at the height of the bare branches, it produces small star-shaped inflorescences consisting of small yellow or green flowers. Under each inflorescence, they develop four large white bracts in the shape of heart that, for some hybrids and varieties, can be pink or red.
Let’s discuss about the time of flowering, unfortunately quite short, but with wonderful and elegant inflorescences that are worth the months of waiting with the plant completely bare.
After flowering, the handsome foliage develops, and the small red fruits ripen in September, also gathered in small groups, at the height of the branches.
Lover of bright and humid climate positions, it fears the drought and too much heat.
We are happy to offer you wonderful specimens stunning characterized large size, up to 400 cm!
Let’s talk about the Hamamelis (we have specimens of Hamamelis Mollis and Hamamelis Mollis Westerstede), the one flowing when the branches are still bare, even in cold weather.
Its name indicates its particularity, Hamamelis means “together with fruit”, because this plant produces flowers when they are still present and ripe fruits of the previous year. There are many varieties that boast subtle flowers characterized by wrinkled petals of various colors, from yellow to orange lemon, pink or purple.
Strong, vigorous and rustic, it is a plant that does not disappoint, especially when placed in a bright position and when you take care of it.
Ready for coloring gardens and flower beds, also for this variety we are able to provide rare specimens that reach 400 cm in height.
We end this series with an absolute novelty, the Oxydendron Arboreum, a very particular plant native to North America, as indeed all the other varieties of this item.
Characterized by serrated leaves of rich green, in the autumn season they turn to bright red before losing them. Characterized by small white bell-shaped flowers united in groups, it has a trunk of a nice brown color.
Usually used as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens, it is well loved for its rich flowering and for the beautiful colors of the leaves in all seasons.
Also used by Indian tribes for the construction of the arches with which shooting their arrows, it has many uses in herbal medicine and in the cuisine.
Come and see with your eyes the beauty of these specimens and tantalize your customers, landscapers or private beings, to accommodate specimens of such beauty in their garden.
IPM Essen fair is certainly the most important occasion of the year to find out news and trends in the horticultural world, to meet with colleagues, suppliers and customers and, why not, to have fun and be inspired to discover curiosities and innovations.
Visited this year by more than 57,000 people from all over the world, it houses as many as 1,577 exhibitors from 45 countries that show their latest technology, boast their most extravagant and wonderful specimens and exhibit their most eye-catching commercial promotions.
We know how this fair, known worldwide, is valuable to keep alive the relationship with all of you customers, and we want to give our best to exchange new information related to our sector as well as to understand how to better meet your needs.
So let’s see what were the main features of this year’s event:
The plants conquer the urban spaces and daily life! The “Urban Jungle” and the fact of knowing how to “grow autonomously” were, in fact, two key elements of the whole fair. Herbs, fruits and the best of the season conquer an important position not occupying only the orchard space, but also being expertly blended with ornamental and inedible specimens.
And to make this possible new irrigation and cultivation item were presented, allowing the growth of many varieties, almost anywhere, even prolonging life and lushness.
But that’s not all! The “trendy” color for next season will be the rose, possibly combined with the purple, in a single flower, to decorate terraces and gardens.
Then discussion involved the digitization of the green and the many conferences and workshops have been held to educate and enrich the many visitors to the world of green.
They were then rewarded the companies that have brought the most interesting innovations, both at the level of hybrid creations as well as technology.
Obviously, we in Capecchi Capecchi Vivai could not be outdone, and, following the trend to innovation and digitization carried out in these four days, presented our stand, a meeting between technology and tradition, intended to show the best of our desire to take care of our customers and plants that, with much love, we produce and ship all over Europe, and not only…
Given that so many fail to come and see us, we tried to reproduce the sensations and emotions that are experienced in our company, playing on the image reproducing views and visions of our headquarters.
An overview of our nursery was projected behind the spaces for welcoming customers, making them experiencing the feeling of being facing in one of the windows of our offices. At the center of the stand then there was a miniature garden, with some examples produced by us with, in the background, again a projection of our gardens and a reproduction of our offices hall.
Many people stopped by and gave us moments of sharing.
We would like to thank you for the appreciation given us for this way of being even more attentive to quality and for the personal relationship, and we expect many of you at our “original offices” here in Pistoia!