Aphids...

[wireme]

Lets just say that it's a long story, the aphids bear 1/2 of the responsibility for it lagging, and "I" bear the other 1/2... zone 3 indoors for bougs isn't a great thing, when this is my first round with them... BUT, there is always "a silver lining"... my light cabinet will be a great place for a few experiments with Mary jane if the legislation passes next July 1st.

... if this boug keeps annoying me, @wireme might find a parcel on his doorstep sometime next fall...

Great! I can always use some more firewood in the fall.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Bougs REALLY like the sun. Dry or humid, good soil or bad, they seem pretty adaptable - but sun is critical. Even partial shade will upset them terribly - at least based on my experience - and they will throw long leggy growth and won't flower, if they don't die back entirely.

 

[Woody Carverton]

These guys have always worked great for me.


Seriously though, you can get them at a lot of garden shops, and they are easy to keep. We have kept / bread them since day one at our garden and over time the problem now is they are dying because there are no aphids for food for them.

Unleash a ladybug colony on your tree and within 48 hours you wont find a single aphid. Even better, they work in proximity so once one tree has no more food (aphids) they will go the the next closest source so you can start them on your worst tree and over the course of a few weeks all your trees will be aphid free.

 

[ysrgrathe]

@Bonsai Nut at what concentration do you use Neem on aphids?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I use 1% or 1.5% depending what I am doing with my citrus. I think you can go as high as 2% but I have never had an issue with 1% and 1.5%.

With my citrus, I focus on getting really good coverage on new growth or the tips of the branches where the new growth will be emerging.

 

[ysrgrathe]

Thanks. I had some trouble with aphids and was following the Dyna-Gro instructions which produces about 0.8% v/v. I might try mixing it a bit stronger next time.