Vine weevils

[SlipSlidinAway]

Hoping someone can give me some advice. I have a row of large strawberry planters. I'd previously pulled out a few dead plants and today I started forking up the old soil before adding some new compost and new plants and discovered each pot has about a dozen or so white, c-shaped grubs which google tells me are vine weevil ☹️.

I put my new plants fresh soil in a bed in a different part of the garden but now am wondering -

• what to do with the old soil? DH has spread it on the ground in front of the compost heap and says the birds will eat the grubs. I'm nervous that they will pupate and cause more problems

• what to do with last year's plants that still look healthy. Can I just wash the roots and reuse?

• should I use nematodes as a precaution on all my plants? I grow a lot of tomatoes, beans, courgettes, cucumbers etc in containers. Are they all at risk from these beasties?

Grateful for any advice!

Get as much compost off the strawberries as possible and replant. Leaving the grubs for birds is fine. I put nematodes in all my containers in spring and autumn. They like some plants much more than others….heuchera, strawberrIt’s, tiarella….but I just do them all….

I don’t worry about nematodes, but I squash the adults whenever I see them

Ive been pesticide free for 30 years - I think it helps

Thanks both. I finished emptying all my strawberry planters yesterday and found grubs in all but one. I spread all the soil out and the blackbirds were very grateful!

I've rinsed the roots of undamaged plants and repotted them in fresh compost. Fingers crossed that works but I've ordered some nematodes to be on the safe side.