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Grasshopper infestation - Will plants come back? #880085

Asked August 03, 2024, 11:31 PM EDT

Hello garden gurus! I have an infestation of grasshoppers. My beautiful garden with mostly native perennials and vegetables is down to sticks. They’ve eaten my columbine, coreopsis, lilys, penstemon, salvias, goldenrod, coneflower, harebell, mums, stonecrop, even my Russian sage. At this point I’m just trying to salvage my fruit trees. I’m working on adding bird houses and feeders and baths to support more predator species. I’m in year 3-4 of my garden and this spring was just gorgeous! I’m wondering how to know if the plants are dead or if they might come back next year? Should I do a fall planting or will that just add more calories for the bugs? I found the CSU extension class video on raking the soil in the fall/winter and will hopefully be more prepared for the spring, just wondering if I will have any plants left to protect. Any pointers would be such a help! Thank you so much!

Larimer County Colorado

Expert Response

Hi Lynn,

From what it sounds like, with the exception of your fruit trees, most of these plants are perennials, and yes, they are likely to return next year. The grasshopper defoliation happened after a couple of good months for the plants to produce carbohydrates to the roots for next year. Leave all foliage on the plant, as bad as it may look. If it's brown, dry, or withered, you can remove it.

Try to water occasionally, just to keep the plants healthy. But yes, major defoliation events can occur and they recover the following year. 

Also, some grasshoppers may lay some eggs in home landscapes, but the majority of their eggs will be in more exposed sites and larger acreages. 

You can plant again - if nothing else, just to give you peace of mind :) 
Alison O'Connor, PhD Replied August 05, 2024, 6:19 PM EDT

Sincere thanks Alison, I am so grateful for your help!! And more than a little relieved! :)  I will keep watering every now and then and will look forward to a new year with hopefully less grasshoppers! :) 

Lynn

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 5, 2024, at 4:19 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:


The Question Asker Replied August 05, 2024, 8:57 PM EDT

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