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#1
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Explain aphid control paragraph for me please?
This is from the Crocus web site, on aphid control. I've read this a number
of times and I have finally concluded that I *really* do not understand what it means. The first two sentences are clear enough- it's when they go on to nettles and "a colony" (of what?) that I get lost. And then cutting back the nettles- why? Nothing of the last two sentences seems to make sense. Maybe I'm just having a very dense day, or possibly this is not explained as well as it might be. Please- could anyone explain the last part to me? Treatment Organic - the best thing to do is encourage the predators of aphids, such as ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies, into your garden. This can be done by planting nectar-rich flowering plants which attract them, such as buddleia, calendula, sedum, stocks, sweet William and wallflowers. [That's clear enough, but from here on I'm lost...] Get a head start on the aphids by growing a patch of nettles with a small colony to help build up natural predators in your garden. Cut back the nettles when aphids appear in other parts of your garden to encourage the predators to seek them out. -- VX (remove alcohol for email) |
#2
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Explain aphid control paragraph for me please?
"VX" wrote in message s.com... This is from the Crocus web site, on aphid control. I've read this a number of times and I have finally concluded that I *really* do not understand what it means. The first two sentences are clear enough- it's when they go on to nettles and "a colony" (of what?) that I get lost. And then cutting back the nettles- why? Nothing of the last two sentences seems to make sense. Maybe I'm just having a very dense day, or possibly this is not explained as well as it might be. Please- could anyone explain the last part to me? .... Nettles act as host to aphids in the Spring before other any other plants, and when there is little other food around for ladybirds. Without a steady supply of food throughout both Spring and Summer ladybird numbers will be reduced. By Summer when other aphid hosts are in full growth the netteles can be cut back to encourage the ladybirds to move on to those. michael adams Treatment Organic - the best thing to do is encourage the predators of aphids, such as ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies, into your garden. This can be done by planting nectar-rich flowering plants which attract them, such as buddleia, calendula, sedum, stocks, sweet William and wallflowers. [That's clear enough, but from here on I'm lost...] Get a head start on the aphids by growing a patch of nettles with a small colony to help build up natural predators in your garden. Cut back the nettles when aphids appear in other parts of your garden to encourage the predators to seek them out. -- VX (remove alcohol for email) |
#3
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Some biocontrol companies sell 'Banker Plants Kits' which are basically aphid infested plants (usually oats), in which you can build up natural enemies for later release. The favoured option by many folk now is to use a safe foliar treatment (such as savona, sb plant invigorator or Just Bug Killer), when aphids first appear then add beneficials to keep future ingressions in check.
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#4
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Explain aphid control paragraph for me please?
The message
from Pest Effects contains these words: Some biocontrol companies sell 'Banker Plants Kits' which are basically aphid infested plants (usually oats), in which you can build up natural enemies for later release. The favoured option by many folk now is to use a safe foliar treatment (such as savona, sb plant invigorator or Just Bug Killer), when aphids first appear then add beneficials to keep future ingressions in check. You sound as if you are posting about American circumstances, is that right? What pertains or is available in the US often doesn't and isn't here in the UK. This is, specifically, a UK gardening newsgroup. Janet. |
#5
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#6
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Explain aphid control paragraph for me please?
The message
from Pest Effects contains these words: Janet Baraclough Wrote: The message from Pest Effects contains these words: Some biocontrol companies sell 'Banker Plants Kits' which are basically aphid infested plants (usually oats), in which you can build up natural enemies for later release. The favoured option by many folk now is to use a safe foliar treatment (such as savona, sb plant invigorator or Just Bug Killer), when aphids first appear then add beneficials to keep future ingressions in check. You sound as if you are posting about American circumstances, is that right? What pertains or is available in the US often doesn't and isn't here in the UK. This is, specifically, a UK gardening newsgroup. Janet. No this is all available in the UK. A google search on "Banker Plant Kits" or "buying aphids" brought up nothing, could you supply a reference to their sale in the UK please? Janet |
#7
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Explain aphid control paragraph for me please?
Thanks for the explanations- now I get it. All I need to do is choose
somewhere to grow some nettles where they won't be stinging myself and my visitors too often, and then find the nettles to plant there. But it sounds like a very clever way of dealing with this problem. I may order some lacewing houses (I think that's what they called them) too. The organic methods seem to be so much more FUN than spraying dodgy toxic-to-most-lifeforms chemicals all over the place.... This weekend's amusing gardening screwup: I decided to make some soap solution by paring away with a sharp knife and then dissolving some Sainsbury's Pure Soap (bar) in warm water and I poured this into an empty bottle. This was supposed to be the concentrated solution that i would then dilute about 1:10 or 1:20 so before pouring into a sprayer. So I had about 1/2 of a bar of soap dissolved in something like 1 litre of water. I did this yesterday and left it to cool. Today I went to look at my concentrated soap solution and it has gone solid in the bottle! Not as solid as a bar of soap but pretty solid nevertheless- about the consitency of set honey. Today will no doubt be all about trying to dilute it again to make it pourable. I think making working strength solution will be a better idea than concentrate in future. -- VX (remove alcohol for email) |
#8
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Explain aphid control paragraph for me please?
On Sun, 7 May 2006 13:48:19 +0100, VX wrote
(in message m): This was supposed to be the concentrated solution that i would then dilute about 1:10 or 1:20 so before pouring into a sprayer. Hmmm. After reading that people successfully use a squirt of washing-up liquid in a bowl of water it's now obvious that I was massively overdoing it. I think I will just use the squirt of washing-up liquid in future.... -- VX (remove alcohol for email) |
#9
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Explain aphid control paragraph for me please?
On Sun, 7 May 2006 13:59:29 +0100, VX
wrote: On Sun, 7 May 2006 13:48:19 +0100, VX wrote (in message m): This was supposed to be the concentrated solution that i would then dilute about 1:10 or 1:20 so before pouring into a sprayer. Hmmm. After reading that people successfully use a squirt of washing-up liquid in a bowl of water it's now obvious that I was massively overdoing it. I think I will just use the squirt of washing-up liquid in future.... I don't use washing-up liquid any more. Some I used once damaged some plants. Maybe it had some damaging ingredient, or maybe I had it too strong but I stick to soap. Lux Soapflakes used to be the best to use but I don't think it's around now. Pam in Bristol |
#10
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Explain aphid control paragraph for me please?
VX writes
This is from the Crocus web site, on aphid control. I've read this a number of times and I have finally concluded that I *really* do not understand what it means. The first two sentences are clear enough- it's when they go on to nettles and "a colony" (of what?) that I get lost. And then cutting back the nettles- why? Nothing of the last two sentences seems to make sense. Maybe I'm just having a very dense day, or possibly this is not explained as well as it might be. Please- could anyone explain the last part to me? Treatment Organic - the best thing to do is encourage the predators of aphids, such as ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies, into your garden. This can be done by planting nectar-rich flowering plants which attract them, such as buddleia, calendula, sedum, stocks, sweet William and wallflowers. [That's clear enough, but from here on I'm lost...] Get a head start on the aphids by growing a patch of nettles with a small colony to help build up natural predators in your garden. Cut back the nettles when aphids appear in other parts of your garden to encourage the predators to seek them out. I think it means - encourage a small patch of nettles with aphids to build up the predator population, then when you have the predators, cut down the nettles so the predators have to go and search out the aphids on the rest of your plants. It's the same principle as Janet B recommends - attract tits to your aphid infested bush by hanging a fat ball in it, then the tits will start on the aphids. Why nettles, I don't know. I'd never thought of them as particularly aphid prone. -- Kay |
#11
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Explain aphid control paragraph for me please?
"K" wrote in message ... VX writes Why nettles, I don't know. I'd never thought of them as particularly aphid prone. They're into growth earlier, and the aphids they host - nettle aphids are only interested in nettles. And so can be encouraged in the garden without problems, while being just as palatable to ladybirds, lacewings, hoveflies and their respective larvae. michael adams .... -- Kay |
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