If any of you are growing Salvia Guaranitica/ Black & Blue Salvia, check for mealybugs NOW! I saw one little spot last week, and due to the problems I had with them last year, I sprayed immediately. I've sprayed again this morning since I spotted a few more. They are only on the Black & Blue salvias so far. No other plants, even other salvias in the save bed, are showing any signs. I used Frostweed's recommendation of alcohol, water and soap since it worked so well on them last year. I can't believe these things. I've been gardening for 40 years and never had a problem with these critters until last year. Of course, that's the first time I planted this particular plant too, so maybe there's a connection. They certainly seem to like this salvia. If I find out that's the problem, these have to go, even though I love the color. Anyone else noticed these seem particularly fond of the Black & Blue?
Black & Blue Salvia and Mealybugs
I'm losing most of my salvias, not to bugs, but to water.
i had a time with mealies last year....they loved my indigo spires salvia; i have found that treating systemically zapped them better than the soap/alcohol/water routine...i used bayer tree and shrub 2 watering and they left...
I'm seeing mealy bugs on several different plants this week. Methinks it's from too much rain/moist conditions. I've sprayed them off in the past but at this point I don't want to add flame to the fire (in a water sense).
Sticks - what is bayer tree and shrub 2 watering?
I've got some of the Bayer too, from your suggestions last year. I think I'll hit those beds with that too. Maybe a two pronged approach with stop the pesky critters. The alcahol did work well last year, but theinfestation had already spread to everything.
knolan i am not sure what you are asking...but let me say this...i had them all over
coleus...i did the alcohol hting and by the next day they would be back over everything
....i finally got the bayer and it zapped everything.....
You said you used bayer tree and shrub 2 watering in your post up there. What is that?
Bayer tree and shrub is a systemic you can get. I think the 2 watering part was two waterings of this systemic.
ahaa! Thank you! I had never heard of it before.
blueeyes...yup i meant 2 waterings...the instructions say that it takes only one watering...but i found that 2 waterings did the trick
My Black & Blue Salvias are setting their first blooms...(finally!) and thank goodness, I haven't noticed any mealybugs. But don't get me started on aphids and scale on my other plants....! yikes.... :p
Melanie
Ladybugs and/or Green Lacewings will help curtail mealybugs and aphids. Also a seaweed spray will take care of both as well. Healthy for the plant, healthy for the soil, and healthy for you!
I finally got a count on my salvia losses. I lost 6 out of 8 and 2 were the black and blue. Rains just rotted them. Oh well, back to the nursery. Already bought 2 more red and 2 white.
Anne, sorry to hear you lost salvias. We've had a ton of rain here too. Our street flooded and the big SUVs kept driving through too fast and sending a wake up over my beds near the street. I stood at the front window and wished I had a way to roadblock the street to prevent that. It sure ticks you off to see beds you worked on so hard get wiped out just because some fool won't slow down in high water! I didn't lose any plants with the exception of a few lobelia, coleus and impatiens that were in that streetside bed.
Well, I knew that I should have built that bed up a little higher. So oh well too late now. Will just wait a week or two to let things dry out and go shopping for more. lol