While it has been Spring for several weeks here in Zone 8, chances are the buds and nice weather are just now getting around to showing themselves in your area...which also means that critters of the insect variety have woken up hungry. Let's go over some common pests that rear their ugly heads in the pre-summer months, and what you can do -- or not do, in some cases -- to deter them.
Problem: Aphids on newly formed plant buds
Recently, I was in the backyard admiring the several lovely clematis vines I've inherited with our new house. Upon closer inspection of one of the plants, however, I was horrified to discover that nearly every tip of one particular clematis was just crawling with aphids. I mean hundreds of 'em. Ick! I quickly grabbed some Neem and sprayed away, dousing the plant liberally, especially at the tips where the aphids were most prevalent.
A couple of days later, I began to notice lots of ladybugs and their odd-looking, elongated nymph babies all over the vine, munching away on the aphids. A few days later, both the aphids and the ladybugs were gone, and the vine was looking 100% healthier.
In this case, I wished I had waited on the Neem. Although it is a good all-purpose organic pesticide (and doubles as a fungicide too), the jury seems to still be out about whether or not Neem is harmful to beneficial insects. The ladybugs may survive the initial spraying, as Neem doesn't linger long on plants, but I'd hate to think the ladybeetles and their offspring could still die from eating a Neem-laden aphid.
So, the moral of the story? If you have an aphid problem and have been following an organic program, the ladybugs will most likely show up on their own. If not, you can purchase ladybugs in many home and garden centers and plant nurseries. Simply release them on the troubled plant, and watch 'em chow down. The best time to release ladybeetles is during the cool of the morning or as temperatures begin to drop in the evening. 4,500 adults (½ pt) will cover about 3,000 sq.ft. - enough for any regular-sized yard.
Problem: Caterpillars chewing cole crops (broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower)
Seen a lot of pretty little white butterflies hovering around your broccoli and cabbage lately? They're not admiring your green thumb. These moth-like creatures are actually laying eggs on your plants which, if left unchecked, will eventually become the very destructive imported cabbage worm, a soft green caterpillar with a voracious appetite. This pest also damages turnip, radish, mustard, and nasturtiums in addition to cole crops.
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