Often you find unwanted livestock in the garden - yes, insects and bugs!
However, sometimes it's hard to know what the insect is as they hide under
leaves and are difficult to see. The Garden Doctor has put together some easy
ways to help you identify and control insect problems in the garden. Click Here
to see their effective sprays
APHIDS are suckers. They feed by sucking sap out of plants in much the
same way as a mosquito sucks blood. Because plants cannot slap the aphids or
flick them off with their tail, they just sit there sucking away and
multiplying.
Aphids can be a real problem in the garden. Particularly in
early spring and autumn. Often Aphids hide in the leaves - so look carefully at
your plants when you notice a change in there growth habit. But you don't have
to worry there are a number of ways in which you can control them. Look out for
insecticides at your local garden store and feel free to ask the advice of the
shop assistants when making your purchase.
Symptoms:
Stunting, curls, and folds in the leaves.
Leaf discoloration;
Dieback or "flagging" of newly formed terminals, branch ends, and new
leaves; |
Early leaf drop;
Ring like swellings or knots at nodes and buds
Sooty mold and ants frequenting a tree are good indicators of an active or
recent aphid attack.
Solution:
The good news is that aphids are relatively easy to control - just make sure you
get thorough spray/dust coverage. Note: like mosquitoes aphids can transmit
diseases. Another reason to keep them out of your garden.
Make sure conditions are favorable for sturdy plant growth. Avoid using
nitrogen-rich fertilisers. This encourages soft growth which attracts aphids.
Inspect plants regularly and squash any aphids that are seen.
Pick off heavily infested shoots and leaves and drop into a bucket of
soapy water.
A strong jet of water from a hose will dislodge aphids.
Spray with an insecticide
CATERPILLARS are chewers and will munch their way through their
favourite plants very quickly so spray with Liquid Diazinon or Dust with
Derris as soon as possible after you see the first signs of
caterpillars.
Symptom
small or large holes in fleshy plants
Solution:
Inspect plants regularly
Spray with an
insecticide
MEALY BUGS are small flat white bugs that tend to target flax like plants.
They are quite mobile and can hide under leaves or behind loose bark so a
thorough soaking is important when spraying for these insects.
Symptom
white fluffy spots on plants
Solution
Inspect plants regularly
Spray with
Insecticide
Inspect the soil and apply Liquid
Diazinon as a drench if they are feeding on the plants roots
CHRYSANTHEMUM MIDGE is a tiny little bug that attacks Chrysanthemums. It is
often hard to see as it is so small. What you will probably notice is tiny
trails or indentations in the foliage. This is where the Midge has been feeding,
and has eaten away the top layer of the leaf.
PEAR SLUG
-
The Pear Slug is a small slug that attacks the soft juicy leaves of Pear trees.
It eats holes in the leaves and is most active in the evening. You will often
find the slugs hiding under the leaves during the day.
Solution :
Control with Liquid Diazinon
SCALE INSECTS are small sucking insects that protect themselves with a
scale like cover and live mainly on the underneath of leaves and along young
soft stems. Control of Scale is aided by mixing spraying oil with Liquid
Diazinon.
The addition of spraying oil helps by suffocating the insect which lifts it's
scale coating slightly to try and breathe allowing spray in underneath. Repeat
sprays may be necessary to control mature insects. Repeat sprays also increase
control of young scale known as "Crawlers", thus breaking the life cycle.
SLUGS AND SNAILS - Snails are chewers, they feed on
your precious plants and make unsightly holes in your lovely foliage. They
love slightly cool, moist conditions typical of spring Waiting for the
first signs of damage is usually too late. Snails can also live and feed
in the crowns of trees like Cabbage trees. If you notice holes in the
leaves of such trees treat them immediately.
Solution:
Inspect plants regularly
Apply Slug
Pellets around effected plants / seedlings when planting
Q. I have slugs and snails in my garden, but am worried about using slug
pellets as we have family pets. What can I use that won’t harm our cats
and dogs?
Solution:
Tui
Quash Slug and Snail Stoppa kills slugs and snails but is safe
for pets and wildlife.
Quash is bran-based and the active ingredient is Iron chelate
which has a very low toxicity. Quash is the least toxic of all slug and
snail bait used world-wide.
When
Quash is eaten, slugs and snails will feel unwell and go back to
their hiding places to die. Shells are seldom found.
Quash is kind to the environment. Plants benefit not only from
being protected from the ravages of slug and snail damage, but can use
the iron released from disintegrating pellets as a valuable nutrient
source.
THRIPS are a less known insect although their
tell-tale symptoms of silvery leaves especially on Rhododendrons and
Photinia are common. Thrips can also do a lot of damage to flower buds. It
can be heart-breaking to a keen gardener to watch flower buds of Gerberas
or Lisianthus for example open, only to discover unsightly blemishes
caused by Thrips. These insects can be controlled by spraying with Liquid
Diazinon. Thorough coverage up under leaves where Thrips live is
important.
Getting coverage down into flower buds is difficult so a
useful trick is to dissolve a small amount of sugar, approximately 1gm per
litre of spray, and let stand for an hour or so, before you spray.
Overnight is fine if you want to spray in the early morning. Thoroughly
spray the infected plants and the Thrips will be attracted out of the buds
after the sugar and thus ingest the spray.
Thrips are tiny insects that eat the top layer of the leaves on many plants.
Often the plant takes on a silvery appearance when it has been attacked by
thrips. Viburnum, Rhododendrons, Azaleas and a number of other shrubs are all
very prone to Thrip damage.
No Insects Spraying Oil is suitable for control of thrips
on Roses, Fruit Trees, Citrus, Vines and Ornamentals.
WHITEFLY can be a real problem in the home garden. They build
up numbers rapidly, especially in warm, sheltered conditions so spraying
as soon as possible after the first signs is important. As Whitefly are
very mobile and tend to fly off the host plant at the slightest
disturbance it is best to spray in the early morning or late evening, when
they are less active. Whitefly can have a life cycle as short as three
days under ideal conditions so if you are having trouble getting Whitefly
under control, spraying three times, three days apart is the best way to
break their life cycle.
MITES AND MILDEW - FLOWERS OF SULPHUR
Q: I have red spider mites on my house plants- how
can I get rid of them?
Diagnosis:
Red
spider mite infestation of plants can cause leaves to look unhealthy and dusty
or speckled. Heavily infested plants may become covered with fine webs. Leaves
may dry up and fall off.
Red
spider mites like a dry atmosphere so can become a problem during hot, dry
summers, especially in house and greenhouse plants.
Solution:
Apply
Tui Mite & Mildew Control (Flowers of Sulphur) by lightly
dusting plants. Dust when mites first appear then at 7 day
intervals or after rain. Ensure all foliage is well covered.
Sprinkle around the surface of pot plants to absorb excess
moisture.
As red spider mites breed in hot, dry conditions, making the
area around infected plants more humid will slow down the breeding
rate. Move house plants to humid areas such as bathrooms, or
dampen the floor around greenhouse and patio plants.
As spider mites love the heat, spray infested plants with iced
water (between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius) once or twice a day until
they are gone.
Isolate invested indoor plants so that they will not infect
others
Keep plants well watered because water- stressed plants are
more susceptible to mites.
