Thanks Terese-ya know the weird thing-they have left my yellow milkweed totally alone...can you tell me the ratio for soap and water and is my Dawn Antibacterial OK??
Cottage Garden Seed Swap & Chat #15
Fairy just be careful with that soapy water if you have Monarch caterpillars on the milkweed. It will probably hurt them too. If you have cats and don't want to hurt them, you could take them off and blast those aphids with the hose, it will knock them off. Then you can put the cats back on them.
(Can you tell I am a butterfly lover? ; )
I will have to look B4 I do it, but haven't seen any on them yet...the butters that I have I don't even really see on them-weird....
Yeah, the butterflies didn't nectar on my orange ones either, but they sure did lay eggs. The soapy water would kill the eggs too. Do you know what a Monarch cat looks like? Being so into butterflies I always asume everyone knows these things lol.
Oops I didn't realize that was a blurry pic, here's a better one of a much larger caterpillar.
Pretty flowers Meredith. Is that Swamp Milkweed? I've tried to grow that w/o success.
Maggie
OK-I knew that, but no clue as to what the eggs look like....
Marg-I think it is sedum
Hey Fairy- you're right, I looked closer @ the leaves. I didn't imagine a cat would be on a sedum. BTW- My RazzMaTazz is doing great!
Maggie
Yes, it was sedum the milkweed was right next to it and all eaten up, so the MOnarch was wondering - trying to find more and it appeared he confused that the sedum was a milkweed - lol!
Fairy, the eggs are tiny little yellow dots usually under the leaves, but it is getting late to find them, now. Although even though we are the same zone I think you actually have about a month longer growing season, which I found out through our piggy swap pages. : ) So I wasn't sure if they'd still be laying eggs there.
Can I tell you that my sedum is the most popular thing in my garden!! Butters, hummers, honey bees, bumbles-I don't even dare weed around it-there are always at least 10 bugs on it!!
like pimple size??
Yes or even smaller depending on the pimple! LOL
This may be a bit too graphic, but more like the whitehead when you squeeze it out!!
OK-yellow pimple on my leaves of the milkweed-underside-got it-I'll check for them B4 destroying the buigs whenever I get the recipe ratio for the mix:)
AHHH-Perfect!! Thanks!!
I'm sorry I don't know the answer to that but I googled it and found a forum response to it here http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cornucop/msg0713452428664.html I noticed when sacnning it that they talk about looking for lady bug predators too! This is why I just let the aphids go, I always worry I am hurting something else that's benifiting my garden in the process of destroying the aphids. That's why if anything I do the spraying with a blast from the hose thang : )
If I could find some live ladybugs I would buy them and release them tonight right on that thing!!
Sorry for the late reply ..... and last year when i had these aphids, i did not yet have any caterpillars.
I didnt think of the effect of killing off the eggs ..... so - i'd probably just smoosh the aphids,
BUT -- here is what i do for my "bug water" [as i call it]
i take a Qt sized spray bottle.... fill it with water and leave about 2-3oz free at the top ... or the 'neck' of the bottle.
then i added soap ... no real ratio, but just so you get some suds when sprayed.
I use it on JP Beetles that devastated my roses this year. ... but i have found this soap/water works on almost all bugs.
I am always careful not to spray around bees.... but i have used them on wasps.
thanks-that is most helpful:) ANd any dishsoap will do??
I never kill the aphids or the milkweed bugs on the milkweed and the plants do fine as well as the caterpillars :)
Meredith, I love your photo with the caterpillar and the surrounding pink blossoms.
LeBug, glad you survived the bad weather you had there.
Nice listings Margaran and Lala :) I'll have bronze fennel seeds if anyone wants any.
I'm having camera trouble at the moment, so I can't post any photos right now. Our asters are in full bloom and are really pretty.
as for dish soap... i just use any cheap generic soap. i usually get one of those larger bottles, 24oz or so for about .99 to 1.29 or so. Lasts me a few yrs.
and i have to admit... i did not notice the gold aphids this year. and I also had cats this year. Wasn't home enough to see them turn to butterflies though.
I have easily a few hundred of those gold aphids-I looked when I got home-I shoulda taken a pic-then I have a few little blck things-I am thinking black aphids...UGH-so many you can't even tell the stem is green:(
Is anyone feeling as guilty as me that I wasn't able to start all the seeds I received in February? I have kept the remaining ones in the bar fridge, but I would really be piggy if I asked for more!
I can't say I'm feeling "guilty" exactly. Suzy sent way more seeds than I asked for so my conscience is at peace, LOL. But I sure won't need many more next year. About all I'm looking for now is annuals for containers.
Well I collected all of the stuff to raise butterflies for this year then when I had everything going on with the kittens I got so behind in everything I didn't get to raise them but still I didn't see that many cats this year, I hope next year we'll have more.
Yes Seandor, I was feeling kind of guilty too for having all of these seeds left over lol But what I did end up growing I'm soo pleased! I can't wait to start the others this year and hope I don't ask for many seeds this year lol
My New England asters are blooming now and the Purple Dome and they are so pretty! I'm looking for other spots to plant what I have left LOL I'm wondering what time of year they will come back in my beds for next year, anyone know? I sure don't want to pull then up for weeds!
I'm still trying to get my beds straightened out from that big wind storm we had, what a mess LOL Last night I went thru the beds out front and got two wheel barrows full of debree! That's just the front beds and there was still leaves inside the plants that I couldn't get to lol
Today is the first day of Autumn! Is everyone ready? I still have soo much to do and so many more plants to get in the ground and with this cool weather coming kind of early I'm getting worried that it may turn cold early and I'm freaking out LOL
Meredith, you just wanted to show that beautiful picture off again! That's my most favorite picture of a cat!!! :)
Oh Lucy, you are so very lucky to have a grandbaby coming and a boy too! I must see pictures when the baby is born! :) I need to dmail you about something today too, a little later I have a bunch of things to do outside this morning :)
Ok, I'm lost then who was it that their sea holly didn't germinate for them? LOL Whoever it was I'll put your name on some more seeds lol
That's me La, just annuals for this year, do you think we will stick to that LOL
Yes! My purple domes are blooming too! They look terrific!
This weekend, I was planting sooo many perennials that I started this winter! Still have to find a place for four Texas Star Hardy Hibiscus! Also need to find room to winter some Litte Swan echinacea, etc.
If everything survives the winter, I will be in real trouble - I have planted so many plants way to close together - so the neighbours will be the recepients of many plants, I think!
I am glad those are blooming for you all-I wasn't even sure if what I collected was seeds or not!!LOL
Seandor you can plant those Texas reds pretty close to eachother, they don't spread out like the other hibiscus, they are just tall :)
Oh Fairy they are just beautiful! I love them! I think every seed came up LOL
Oh, thanks, LeBug! Now where do I want some dramatic impact . . . .hummmm......
I'm GUILTY Lea : )
I honestly can not recall if this was the thread where the Asters were being talked about....
but i did find mine, and yes they are blooming.
Thanks Jan, where ever you are. ... as i got the seeds from her.
and BIG NO -- i did not get all the seeds started.
there were a few that specifically i asked for and did not sow... they will be first on my list for next year.
Ok Meredith, got you for sea holly :)
The news just said the West Nile Virus is here, it's been pretty close but not here, now it is, not good I'm outside all day and the news the other day said they are mostly out thru the day, NOT GOOD! I'm sick of smelling of bug spray lol I have a fortune in it I know it's worth it but that is not my favorite perfume LOL I wish you could buy bug spray in the gals. and just fill your bottle up, someone come up with that LOL
which salvia is this?
one of the guys in Wisc has this blooming right now... along with his Obedient Plant ... and when they were getting ready to head south [back to FLA] i mentioned to his wife that if he cuts them back, i can't harvest any seeds... so maybe he actually left them up for me. *big cheezy grin* as i know he always cuts everything back just before he leaves.
the Obedient Plant is also purple... they are stunning right now.
here's Obedient Plant ... i guess it's more of a light purple ... but stunning non the least.
That obedient plant IS beautiful. : )
~Lucy
Lucy, wonderful about a grandson coming along
Seandor, tcs & LeBug, y'all are making me (and some others, I'll bet) feel less guilty about not sowing so many seeds this past winter - I am so looking forward to making up for that beginning this coming Solstice. But, I felt terrible enough about it that I didn't post very much here, although the CG forum is my favorite.
At any rate, am working on the obstacles that were in my way ... disorganization in a tiny space can be improved ...DH is a willing partner in the mess that indoor sowing makes (thank all the horticultural powers that be). A lot of time has gone into raising and continuing deer barriers...this year we've carted off 5 racoons and 4 woodchucks in the Havahart cage they so obligingly got into...but ya gotta be pretty far gone for the love of flowers to keep sowing seeds while all those furry 4-paws are out there chomping away. I wrote an entry in the Morning Glory forum sticky index on "foes" - I need to include a section in there that applies the Serenity Prayer to those **!!!# herbivores - anyone wanna contribute thoughts to that?
To anyone that might not have sown all seeds that came from me, I am herewith declaring a General Amnesty to anyone sharing the *Seeds I Didn't Sow and Dragging Knuckles on Ground About It" boat - lol!
LeBug, I am so hearing you about that **!!!# bug spray - kinda hard to gracefully drift around the posies in that floaty white dress in the garden wearing that *perfume* ain't it? Well, all I can say about that is it's a good thing imagination comes with the love of flowers that we all share here.
tcs, that sage reminds me a little of the Mealy Cup Sage (Salvia farinacea), but I know practically zip about sage. Maybe posting that pic over on the Salvia and Agastache forum would get a definitive answer? (or is it Agastache and Salvia??)...like the Obedient Plant, too
Karen
Oh, Karen, please let me gift you with huge clumps of disobedient plant! LOL It's only "obedient" in the vase. However, it's pretty easy to pull up when the clump gets out of control. My neighbor has the trick of it -- hers is short and not floppy and just beautiful now (mine has toppled in the recent storms) -- she chops it back a couple of time in spring. Next year, I will do the same!
I had some *unscented* Deep Woods Off, but the stuff I have now smells like Pine Sol. The straight DEET in the bottle ("Jungle Juice") isn't scented, really, but I don't like it on my skin if I can help it... it's great to dab on collar and cuffs, though. I think the cooler weather has knocked tehm back a bit. The skeeters weren't as bad as I'd feared they'd be at Saturday's swap, and the weather was lovely for hanging around outside!