Garden Doctor
War on Thrips
Thrips have been terrible this season, especially on roses. Thrips are tiny blackish insects (about 3mm long) which damage flowers and buds sometimes to the point where the flower does not even open. They are frustrating because they breed rapidly so sprays 3 days apart are necessary. Spray the little rascals with Success, Confidor or natrasoap, and prune off any badly affected flowers. Rotate the spray you use and always follow manufacturers instructions. Thrips are one of the hardest insects to control.
Aphids
Aphids are those nasty little sap sucking ratbags that attack all sorts of plants and love fresh new growth. They are especially active on Roses, but also watch for them on Maples, Camellias, Pittosporums and Photinias.
Mostly they are green but can also be brown, black or even a reddish colour. Controlling them is easy and we find Eco-oil or Confidor the most effective. Ladybirds eat them too, so be nice to your Ladybirds.
My roses have white lumpy things on their stems
They are white scale. These little sap suckers will make your roses miserable. Spray with Pest Oil until the plant drips and you may need to spray again about 2 weeks later. The scale won’t fall off when they’re dead but will feel dry instead of sticky. A spray with Eco Oil in early spring will kill the “crawlers” and therefore there will be less scale later. When pruning, at any time of year, cut out any badly affected stems. Don’t be scared, your rose will love you.
Fungal Problems
There’s nothing fun about fungal problems. Weather causes fungal problems, which is great because we are always suffering some sort of weather, so it’s not your fault. You may have noticed white powdery markings on the leaves and flower buds, your Roses may be dropping their leaves or your lawn may have ugly brown patches. These are all caused by fungus and need to be treated. Bring in a sample or a photo of your affected plants and we’ll help you solve the problem.
Budworm on Roses
These are the nasty larvae of moths that burrow into the flower buds on your roses and eat them. All those beautiful flowers are full of holes and destroyed. They eat the buds, then flowers and sometimes the shoots and leaves. They are most active during summer and can be hard to see. It’s the damage that’s so obvious. You can pick them off by hand and squash them, which is very satisfying, or spray with Success, which knocks them flat.
Ants on plants
Have you got ants on your plants? Bet you’ve got scale sucking like mad on your prize possessions. Scale are limpet like creatures which attach themselves to leaves and stems and suck sap, a bit like mosquitoes suck our blood. They secrete a sticky substance which is attractive to ants and eventually goes mouldy, causing sooty mould.
The ants aren’t a problem at all, they’ve only arrived for the sugary secretion. Yum. Spray the scale with Eco oil during the coolest part of the day, it’s 100% organic and safe for you and the planet. They can attack all sorts of plants, watch out for them especially on Gardenias, Citrus and Bay trees.