I'm still having problems with my plant life, now most of the drunken slugs aren't crawling over the stones so thats almost under control. However I've noticed some of the tomatoes have greenfly on them which I think would be a nice meal for ladybirds (ladybugs some people know them as) but I can't remember the last time I saw one. Where would they be most like to be? certain flowers/plants? certain areas or conditions?
Also there seem to be a lot of tiny little white bits on the leaves (smaller than the greenfly) and I can work out if they are living things, bits of dust, egg cases, or something else... any ideas ?
Thanks
Steve
Not sure,but those white bits could be related to aphid life cycle, eggs or shedded skin maybe. I have it in my rose plants.
Previously i use to remove aphids by hand in tomatoes but now the plants are really bushy and i just use spray (organic)on unreachable parts.
I tried a mix of chillies and garlic in some hot water (allowed to cool) and gave them a good spray with that (someone had suggested it somewhere) seems to have made no real difference....
Steve
I believe you can actually buy ladybirds for garden insect munching duties!
I've never done this (though I have wondered what, if anything, makes the ladybirds stay in your garden rather than fly away).
If you do this, do feed back!
Don't talk to be about blimmin' aphids, the little bliters are having a feast on my chili plants this year. I've come to the conclusion that it's more-or-less impossible to get rid of them completely - it's more a case of keeping on top of them.
I used a bug spray (can't remember the name) and it didn't do much at all, all it did was burn the leaves and left the plants looking really ugly for a while.
I decided to take someone's advice and I used some washing up liquid/dish soap and water in a spray bottle for the hard to reach areas - such as in the new growth and on the flower buds, and it works too.
To keep on top of the aphid population I was the plants with a shower about twice a week, and alough it doesn't actually kill them all it washes quite a few off, thus keeping them under control somewhat. I think the multiply every three days.
As for the ladybirds, you're meant to be able to buy them online but I've never looked. The best place to find ladybirds is on stinging nettles and in long grass. I put four ladybirds on my jalapeno plants and they multiplied in no time. The larvae are small black (can sometimes be green) things that look like crocodiles and they grow to about half an inch long. The adults supposedly eat 40 or more aphids a day and the larvae eat even more.
After a few weeks I had to put the ladybirds and ladybird larvae outside because although they were doing a good job of eating the aphids, there were too many aphids so even the ladybirds couldn't keep up.
You may also notice that the aphids leave a sticky residue on the leaves.
How much washing up liquid and does it have to be bleach free or anything along those lines? Does in not affect the plants or fruits?... knowing my luck I'll end up with drunken slugs having soapy baths !
Steve
Ummm ... LOL. I used about a teaspoon in an average sized spray bottle. I definitely would go for bleach-free and although I'm not too sure if what I used contained an anti-bacterial or not I would advise using something that's anti-bacterial free.
Aphids breath through their skin so when you spray them with washing up liquid they suffocate.
RE: The chili and garlic spray. I'm wondering if that's intended to actually kill the aphids or if it's intended to be more of a repellent. When I was in Turkey a few years ago the Turks claimed that eating garlic keeps away the midgies...
Yes, apparently you can buy mail-order ladybirds: http://www.countrylife.co.uk/countryside/gardens/gardeningtips/article/253973/Buying-and-protecting-ladybirds.html
Any feedback welcome as my Father's beloved hollyhocks and foxgloves are covered in the wretched aphids!
As for an insect deterrent against mozzies, I've always been told that eating copious amounts of Vitamin B is a good deterrent, best ingested as a thick spread of Marmite on toast (love it or hate it!) as your sweat glands will then release a particularly objectionable smell to the insects.
Best wishes
Winton
P.S. Agree with Kavey's point -
Once you have 'imported' the ladybirds, and they have have quickly done their job (each eating 40 aphids a day) how do you try to keep them in your garden rather than them just flying away to your neighbours? LOL!
its the ladybird lavae that eat the aphids, not the flying adults.
Both eat the aphids but apparently the larvae eat more than the adults.
I have watched the adults munching their way through an aphid.