Does anyone know if there is such a thing as a garden consultant? I live in Miami- Broward county area? I want someone that knows about insects and can show me ways to a better organic methods to get rid off ants, aphids and all the bad pest control in way I wont hurt my butterfly garden. Anyone know any cool nerd consultants?
Garden Consultant for Pest control organic way
Google Integrated Pest Management. This is a concept that is mostly organic, and could be all organic depending on how rigorously you apply the various concepts.
Department of Agriculture ought to be right on top of the information needed to implement IPM.
Integrated:
Apply several control methods, each one of which might not do the job independently, but, combined (correct timing, correct procedure) they will reduce the pest/disease problem to acceptable levels.
Pest:
Insect, arthropod, mammal, bird, weed, plant disease... anything that causes problems for the crop you want to grow.
Management:
Does not mean total control, but managing the crop and pest so the damage is minimal.
If you take pictures of garden problems and post them here, many members may come up with organic methods of dealing with them, or else tell you, 'That problem cannot be dealt with in a pure organic way, here is the safest spray'
Take pictures of the healthy plant, the damage being done, and the pest (if you can find it)
Describe the damage, the timing (time of year, and time of day) you see the damage, and what steps you have taken to trap the pest or otherwise control the problem.
Be careful using 'organic' treatments, some are just as dangerous as 'chemical' treatments. In fact, some 'chemical' treatments are actually safer when done right.
Aphids:
Hose them off. Strong blast from a garden hose (don't damage the plants!)
Allow predators to thrive. Plant things that the predatory insects can eat in between 'crops' of aphids. Many of these are the very fine flowers like certain daisy relatives, and flowers in heads like dill and its relatives.
Insecticidal soap.
Look into other sprays, and the ingredients might be something like hot peppers, garlic or other kitchen herbs. If the ingredients include oil (vegetable oil) then be VERY CAREFUL when you spray. Many plants are sensitive to oils when the weather is too hot.
Ants: Ants often protect aphids, and benefit by eating the sugary waste of the aphid.
To control ants on woody trees and shrubs the best is a sticky band around the trunk (Tanglefoot is one brand name) that traps the ants as they try to climb. This only works if the tree is standing free of anything else, the ants could just walk around and climb the tree some other way if it was touching another plant, fence or wall.
Poison bait that attracts the ants, and they take it back to the nest to kill the nest. 'Grants Ant Stakes' are one such product.
If the ants have to cross a smooth surface sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth on the smooth surface. It would get lost in the soil or mulch. If you find a nest generously sprinkle DE around the nest. So much they cannot help but walk through it.
Another concept within the IPM range is this: If there are certain flowers that are REALLY attracting the ants and aphids, then do not plant that one. (There are a lot of other flowers that will attract butterflies)
Another concept:
Aphids are most rampant on plants with fast growing, succulent new growth. So grow your plants more slowly. Minimal possible fertilizer, and slow release fertilizer. Prune at the right time for the plant, but do not prune so hard that the growth response is so lush it invites the aphids.
Diana, thank you for such great information. I will try that with the ants. Do you know anything about Little Leaf Notcher Weevil. I cant seem to get rid of them? Thanks again for the help will save your post
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/cg006
Here is a wonderful resource, and right in your back yard, so it ought to be entirely relevant to your gardening. I use some of their articles even here in CA.
We also have some of these weevils in CA, and control is (as stated in that link) difficult.
Larvae live in the soil, eating roots.
Adults climb into the plant, and eat the leaves. The Fuller's Rose Weevil makes almost squared off, very neat notches in the leaves of many species.
Control is aimed at the pest in different ways at different times of the year. Knowing the pests' life cycle is critical to make the control efforts pay off with the least harm to the plant and the environment.
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