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Dianthus in trouble

FritillariaScotlandFritillariaScotland Posts: 67
in Problem solving
I have discovered a massive infestation of aphids on and under my dianthus plant, which has been growing happily in a container for years now. I see an awful lot of ants nearby, which makes me think those aphids are being farmed by an any colony. What is the most environmentally friendly way of dealing with this? It's it possible that the ants' nest is in the container? 
As you'll see from the picture, something has been munching on the buds of the poor plant as well, it doesn't seem to have any luck this year...

Posts

  • PianoplayerPianoplayer Posts: 624
    I spotted ants showing interest in one of my pots - I really watered it very thoroughly and regularly, and that seemed to put the ants off. Might be worth a try? Of course, Dianthus prefer dry conditions...

    It might be best to tackle the green fly as well, as the honeydew will attract the ants for sure. Maybe blasts with soapy water?
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    For some reason Ants seem to love nesting under Dianthus. Problem is that the acid the ants produce eventually kills the plant as they prefer an alkaline soil.
    Only way I ever managed to save mine was to dig it up and wash the roots and replant without the ants.

  • FritillariaScotlandFritillariaScotland Posts: 67
    Thank you both, I will give both of your suggestions a try. Get the aphids off with soapy water and get rid of the soil in the container altogether. Hopefully it will do the trick. 
  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 482
    Reading this old post... wonder if OP @FritillariaScotland has managed to control the aphid problem please? I'm facing the same issue here with my dianthus growing in a pot. I've been keeping it in the greenhouse to avoid the snails, but the ventilation in there is not good. Maybe I should just plant it into the ground? Would the ants and aphids still be a problem though?

    Thanks!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi @msqingxiao - dianthus are better outdoors. Slugs and snails don't really bother them, so no need to worry about that. Plant it out, unless your soil is totally wrong. You can keep it in a pot, but you'll need to give it a suitable growing medium and water it in dry weather   :)

    If there are ants - it's usually because of very dry soil, and if you read the above posts, you'll see the problem with that. All potted plants need regular water - even ones like dianthus.
    Aphids are farmed by ants, so the two things go hand in hand  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 482
    Thanks a lot @Fairygirl That's super helpful. I've planted it out into the garden. In the past I did see the odd snail nipping on the buds and some holes on the leaves too. But the aphids are definitely worse....

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