I think it's a bit of a balancing act too Bob. The new growth on plants like Lupins is very susceptible to attack, and all it takes is a warm damp spell and they just seem to arrive in their millions don't they? Ladybirds do seem to be thin on the ground at that time too, so it's a question of trying to get a head start on them till nature takes more of a hold.
As you rightly say, having some birds to look at from the window is worth it anyway! I'm surprised at how much food I'm going through just in one hanging feeder.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The lupins in my garden have had an attack of giant woolly aphids. Again. Not a ladybird in sight yet. I spray them with diluted washing up liquid And I keep squashing them . That's a good technique you have there Bob Bob.
I'm going to adopt it. I think the thing is don't turn your back on the horrors! I will put bird feeders nearby too - thank you for that suggestion Fairygirl.
A couple of days later and while there are still aphids on the plant they're very few in number - I've not seen a group larger than 15-20 and have to dig down quite deep into the plant to find them.
A big improvement on the original state when you could see huge numbers teeming all over the spires.
I dont know if it helps but I grow so many plants for hoverflies that I rarely suffer from green/white or whatever fly in my garden. I've seen so many ladybirds this year as well. Although I'm not an organic gardener I do find the predator approach works well for me.
Let my guard down for a couple of days and there was a resurgence in numbers! Not swarming the plant but definitely an increase. Good news is that the spires that were previously coated in them before my squashing regime have all bloomed just fine without damage.
When I was gathering todays up for a good squashing I noticed the plant felt quite sticky in places? I'm guessing it has something to do with the aphids?
Daisy type flowers are best. Hoverflies need easy access to nectar and above all a wildlife friendly garden with plenty of habitats, wood piles, some bare earth for basking and nesting and nectar plants that go throughout the year especially late in the year and early. It's basically planting for pollinators. My garden is well drained, sometimes too well drained and west facing and on hot days it bakes but planting for my conditions has worked better than I could have ever hoped for. So a succession of daisy family flowers thrive and the air is always filled with insects visiting them. I have noticed in other gardens I work in that a lack of habitats just encourages the various sap sucking insects to attack any young growth and I'm constantly spraying or trying to encourage clients to provide habitats and suitable plants to reduce the damage. So plant for pollinators.
They should arrive soon then as I've plenty of good plants for pollinators. Plenty of singles in the sunny borders and British wildlife plants in the more dappled corners.
I'll concentrate on getting a few more around the lupins when space is found...or made.
Disaster struck! Work and family commitments meant I couldn't keep on top of the lupin check and the plant was absolutely swarmed. Every bit of the plants crawling with the little beggars and collapsed spires!
Ho-Hum. They've been dug out and the space will now be took up with my Cosmos plants which I started from seed earlier in spring. They've put on a lot of growth the last couple of weeks and are beginning to look a bit big for their small pots. Every cloud has a silver lining I suppose.
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I think it's a bit of a balancing act too Bob. The new growth on plants like Lupins is very susceptible to attack, and all it takes is a warm damp spell and they just seem to arrive in their millions don't they? Ladybirds do seem to be thin on the ground at that time too, so it's a question of trying to get a head start on them till nature takes more of a hold.
As you rightly say, having some birds to look at from the window is worth it anyway! I'm surprised at how much food I'm going through just in one hanging feeder.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The lupins in my garden have had an attack of giant woolly aphids. Again. Not a ladybird in sight yet. I spray them with diluted washing up liquid And I keep squashing them . That's a good technique you have there Bob Bob.
I'm going to adopt it. I think the thing is don't turn your back on the horrors! I will put bird feeders nearby too - thank you for that suggestion Fairygirl.
A couple of days later and while there are still aphids on the plant they're very few in number - I've not seen a group larger than 15-20 and have to dig down quite deep into the plant to find them.
A big improvement on the original state when you could see huge numbers teeming all over the spires.
I dont know if it helps but I grow so many plants for hoverflies that I rarely suffer from green/white or whatever fly in my garden. I've seen so many ladybirds this year as well. Although I'm not an organic gardener I do find the predator approach works well for me.
Let my guard down for a couple of days and there was a resurgence in numbers! Not swarming the plant but definitely an increase. Good news is that the spires that were previously coated in them before my squashing regime have all bloomed just fine without damage.
When I was gathering todays up for a good squashing I noticed the plant felt quite sticky in places? I'm guessing it has something to do with the aphids?
What are some good plants for hoverflies Dave?
Daisy type flowers are best. Hoverflies need easy access to nectar and above all a wildlife friendly garden with plenty of habitats, wood piles, some bare earth for basking and nesting and nectar plants that go throughout the year especially late in the year and early. It's basically planting for pollinators. My garden is well drained, sometimes too well drained and west facing and on hot days it bakes but planting for my conditions has worked better than I could have ever hoped for. So a succession of daisy family flowers thrive and the air is always filled with insects visiting them. I have noticed in other gardens I work in that a lack of habitats just encourages the various sap sucking insects to attack any young growth and I'm constantly spraying or trying to encourage clients to provide habitats and suitable plants to reduce the damage. So plant for pollinators.
They should arrive soon then as I've plenty of good plants for pollinators. Plenty of singles in the sunny borders and British wildlife plants in the more dappled corners.
I'll concentrate on getting a few more around the lupins when space is found...or made.
Disaster struck! Work and family commitments meant I couldn't keep on top of the lupin check and the plant was absolutely swarmed. Every bit of the plants crawling with the little beggars and collapsed spires!
Ho-Hum. They've been dug out and the space will now be took up with my Cosmos plants which I started from seed earlier in spring. They've put on a lot of growth the last couple of weeks and are beginning to look a bit big for their small pots. Every cloud has a silver lining I suppose.