Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Ants farming aphids on canna indica

djgrintdjgrint Posts: 34
in Problem solving
Hello!

I'm growing a canna inidca for the first time in a display pot and have noticed that ants seem to have taken up refuge in the pot. They appear to be farming aphids on the growing canna stems.

Should I leave them to it, or are they going to cause damage? I don't like using pesticides, but as this is my first time growing a canna I'd like it to look its best. Would a little ant powder damage the plant?

Thanks!

Posts

  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    You can use ant bait stations to control the ants, which do seem to defend the aphids from natural predators. But in this situation might you not as well just blast off the aphids with a hose?
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I’d give the pot a good soaking and keep it really moist. Canna are very thirsty plants and ants like a dry home. You could kill
    two birds with one stone. 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,847
    I don't know about Canna Indica but I noticed black aphids all over a Nasturtium with ant farmers in attendance, I put a tiny amount of washing up liquid in a beaker closed the top and shook it vigorously then applied the foam from the top to the aphids and the growing tips of the plant, then later squirted the aphids off with a jet of water. The ants herd all of the living aphids up and put them back on the plant so I applied more soap foam and stared squashing as many aphids as I could see with a plastic plant label, there are less aphids than there were yesterday but the ants are still present and there are still the odd aphid about if I keep squashing every aphid they will eventually get the message but if I give up I'm sure that the ant farmers will encourage more black aphids on to the plant. The same thing happened with red spider mites in the greenhouse on chilli plants. You have to be as persistent as the hard working ants or use insecticide which is indiscriminate.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I use nasturtiums as sacrificial plants to attract aphids from more precious plants.

    I never use sprays, preferring to wait for the good guys to come along and hoover up the aphids.  Another way to reduce the presence of ants is to make sure the soil is moist.  They like dry soil for their nests and tunnels which is why they are so often found in pots.   Adding a small bottle of essential oil of cloves (pharmacies and health shops) to 5 litres of water and pouring over affected plants will also deter ants as they don't like the smell.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,847
    I've never grown nasturtiums before I was hoping to try the flowers in a salad, the plants in a container of sandy used compost in the garden got the blackfly those in the ground in the allotment have grown well but no sign of flowers probably the soil's too rich.
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    The nasturtiums which seeded themselves in my planters with very rich soil have lots of leaves but are just starting to get flowers so be patient @barry island
Sign In or Register to comment.