Magnolia Tree Gardening Blog

Posts Tagged ‘soft plants’

Cut Worms- The cutworm attack many types of vegetables, especially lettuce and brassicas.

Control- Biological Pest control: There are several types of beneficial insects available which, when released, will attack a particular pest species. The trichogramma wasp lays it’s eggs on the eggs of cabbageworm, cut worm, corn borers, and others. The larvae feed on the eggs and destroy the host eggs.

Earwigs- Earwigs can be a real pest in the garden, second only to snails and slugs. They eat almost anything soft. They do have some good points however, as they eat insects such as aphids. Unfortunately they also feed on soft plants. They can do quite a lot of damage if there is a high population.

Control-Earwigs are nocturnal, coming out to feed at night, and running back to hide in a moist, tight fitting place during the day. You can trap them by putting out moistened, tightly rolled newspaper or corrugated cardboard in the evening. In the morning dispose of the paper and the trapped insects.

Flea Beetles- Flea beetles can do extensive damage to many crops. There are a number of species of Flea beetles, they are tiny little black or black and yellow, insects that hop when you touch them, much like a flea. They chew little holes all over the foliage, and left unchecked, can cause crop failure. Flea Beetles are most active in hot weather conditions, and seem to disappear once the weather turns cool.

Control- A natural way to control flea beetles is to start early, while the plants are still small, sprinkling Diatomaceous Earth (DE) to the leaves. As the name implies, diatomaceous earth consists of tiny little diatoms from the ocean that have been dehydrated into a powder. It is available in many garden centres, or nurseries, or web sites and is relatively inexpensive. The powder is razor sharp to soft-bodied insects and soon inflicts fatal damage. The most important thing with using this control is that you are vigilant about re-applying it after rain.

Leatherjackets- The larvae of the harmless Cranefly or Daddy-long-legs are the notorious and destructive Leatherjackets. They feed underground on many types of plants roots, bulbs and tubers, and are a common pest on the lawns, where they cause patches of grass to die.

Control- A good way to deal with them is to soak the grass with water or it can be done after a heavy rain, lay sacking or a sheet of black plastic weighted down with bricks or some other reasonably heavy objects. This will bring them to the surface where they can be collected and disposed of. If this seems an unpleasant task then the biological control is an option.

Mealy Bugs- A common soft bodied, 2-7 millimetres, oblong, waxy white insects move very little, and look like cotton tufts. They mature slowly and live in colonies that are usually located at stem joints. Like aphids, mealy bugs excrete sticky honeydew. Mealy bugs are fairly easy to control, since they reproduce and move slowly. Control- By spraying the plant with a strong stream of water. Spray with non-detergent soap and water with a drop of alcohol mix.

Millipedes- Snake Millipedes are often mistaken for wireworms and they feed on the roots of many plants. They can destroy the sown seeds of peas and beans, and often extend the damage caused by slugs and wireworms.

Control- A biological control involves a predator beetle Cryptalaemus.

Red Spider Mite-These minute orange insects feed on leaves, turning them dull with yellow mottling, often with a covering of fine webs. Common under glass, but they can also attack outdoor plants such as fruit trees, especially in hot dry seasons. Control- Discourage them by regularly misting or hosing foliage to keep humidity high. Under glass introduce Phytoseiulus persimilis a predatory mite.

Scale Insects resemble small, discoloured blisters on stem or leaves. Their bodies are protected by scale, which varies in shape, and colour according to the species, and they live their lives sucking the sap through elongated mouthparts. Brown Scale is chestnut brown, about 1/8-inch long and very convex, often found on bark of plums, peaches and soft fruits. The Mussel Scale is flatter, grey and shaped like a mussel shell, is found mainly on apple trees but can occur on other trees or shrubs. Cushion Scale is prevalent under glass attacking orchids but also infests camellias and magnolias. The Rose Scurfy Scale is a flat, white scale found encrusting the stems of roses, especially in sheltered places.

Control- Easily controlled with biological treatments. For hard scale use Chilocorus. Soft scale use parasitic wasp Metaphycus helvolus available from the Garden Centre.