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A LITTLE WAIT

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

28/X/2025

 

Yesterday, while inspecting our Adenium plants, a caterpillar of an Army green moth was discovered. Had I not touched it, it could not have been detected as it blended with the leaves so well. Its light brown colour and the snakish print on its skin was a give away.

 

There was a choice to pluck it and evict it. However, we felt privileged that it had found a home in an Adenium seedling. I am not sure if they attack the hybrid and grafted variety. The ‘desi or rather common adeniums are their favourite.

 

I had to inspect every plant with a fine tooth comb which were in the vicinity of the one these caterpillars had chosen to make home. Thank God, others had been spared. For ease of identification between the hybrid and the desi ones, the desi ones have been grown in used cold drink bottles.

 

My aim was to have the desi variety on which grafting could be done once they matured. These plants had arrived as ‘six inch stumps’ and now have doubled in size. By the end of this season, they would be mature enough for me to start my next phase of experimentation.

 

Grafting Adeniums they say is easy. The fear of trying is a barrier which one is ready to break. I wish these ones had grown as big earlier. I lost a good and healthy adenium plant due to neglect in the rainy season, which I regret. The caudex rotted without a hint. What was left was just a stem. Had the weather been right, I could have grafted it or sown that cutting.

 

I removed the infected portion and potted the healthy portion of its stem. It turned slushy and watery within days. Another reason for the cutting to die was the extended rainy season. Humidity took its toll. This season, I intend grafting multicolour adenium branches on one plant. The method which shall be used is called “tablet grafting”. Wish me luck.

 

The yellow caterpillar was a discovery of last evening’s round. This morning, a thought whizzed past to go and check the damage our Oleander caterpillar could have done to that plant. Armed with my camera, it was time to meet caterpillar saab again.

 

Like a good LO of the Army days, one should have asked him if he had a good night's rest, his choice of food for the next meal etc. It just went chomp-chomp-chomp.

 

Now that I knew the pot where the caterpillar saab was, it was easy to locate. The brown and yellow caterpillar stood out starker in the morning.

 

In the night he had consumed one leaf. No problem, I thought to myself. Another few days and it would turn into a pupa. Then the leaves would be safe.

 

As I fiddled around, I saw a lot of caterpillar droppings. Some were stuck on leaves like small black peppercorns. A clear give away to know if plants have caterpillars.

 

My fear was that it should not attack other Adeniums in the vicinity. Many of them are about to flower. Many plants are babies still with new leaves just about to sprout. These plants were received bare rooted and sans their leaves a week back from a nursery.

 

The others were safe. As I scanned this plant I was in for another surprise. There was his ‘partner in crime’, one ‘Ms Green Caterpillar’ was munching on another leaf. Like her companion blended with yellow leaves, she merged extremely well with the green ones.

 

Nature was at its best. The colours, the textures, the printed skin, the camouflage and the disguise, was perfect. The dilemma was to remove them or to let them continue. I decided on the latter. How much could they eat in a couple of days?

 

The ‘toll’ to stay on that plant was taken when I told them to pose. Then that particular pot was segregated from the others, lest these caterpillars decide to go on a rampage. There could be more lurking around hiding somewhere.

 

Now my wait begins for them to metamorphize and change into full grown moths. Will they pose for me then? I wonder!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND

©® NOEL ELLIS












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