Quick note about ladybugs - I know how hard it is to resist buying them at the nursery, especially when you see them crammed into those tiny bags or containers, just want to set them free!
The problem is however, those ladybugs are farmed from different areas in the country and shipped various locations where they can outcompete local, native ladybugs specific to any one region.
Better to plant native plants local to your area to attract the native ladybugs and other beneficial insects.
Planting herbs and letting them flower is another way to attract beneficials, particularly those that thrive on tiny umbellifer type of flowers such dill, fennel or parsley. (Parsley is a ladybug magnet, as is sweet alyssum)
Happy planting all!
Original Message:
Sent: 3/4/2022 1:35:00 PM
From: Michelle Zupan
Subject: Aphids on the Run
Hi Nande,
Yeah...vinegar is always recommended, but it fries plants if the acidity is too high or the plants are exposed to light for several hours after spraying.
Wipe off as many aphids as you can with a damp cloth -- drown them in soapy water. Then spray with a mixture of Neem oil and water. If you can get a hold of ladybugs or lacewings, they are natural predators of aphids.
--
Michelle Zupan
Curator
Hickory Hill & the Tom Watson Birthplace
502 Hickory Hill Drive
Thomson, GA 30824
706-595-7777
FAX: 706-595-7177
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