We decided to pull it out and try the plant on the left instead. I hope it does OK out of the pot.
I'm all for letting nature have her way to a point, but this is ridiculous! All the new Ixora leaves were covered with aphids brought by the ants to milk.
I didn't realize there were this many aphids until I took this close-up shot.
Even the flowers are covered with aphids. Many of the blooms just wither away.
The rest of the plant is covered with a black and white ash like substance.
I have no idea what this new plant is called because my aunt gave it to us. We're keeping our fingers crossed.
Does anybody have advice on how to get rid of aphids and ants?
this is not Illinois.
ReplyDeleteI hate aphids, and I never seem to notice them until they've just about taken over a plant. To get rid of them (and maybe this works for ants, too; I'm not sure) mix 1 T. Murphy's oil soap, 2 T. rubbing alcohol, and 2 c. water in a spray bottle and drench the plant! Make sure you spray the underside of the leaves as well as the top.
ReplyDeleteAphids are evil in my book-LOL!!! They are really an issue on roses. Good luck with the new plant!
ReplyDeletesoapy water is all I've heard of...good luck!
ReplyDeleteDo you have ladybirds there? They love to eat aphids. Not that I'm suggesting you should set up a ladybird farm or anything, but I don't know of anything else that gets rid of aphids as well. Perhaps you could grow another kind of plant nearby that attracts ladybirds, or one that discourages aphids! I grew nasturtium next to my broad beans this summer and we were barely bothered by blackfly.
ReplyDeleteOh my, that's quite an infestation you have there. Jean's suggestion sounds like a good one.
ReplyDeleteYes, bag up a branch and take it to your friendly neighborhood nursery. :)
ReplyDeleteTerrible!!! Have you googled aphids? You might find the solution online. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteKay, mahalo for the wedelia, but I've decided to give the vinca a chance to prove itself. One of the 4 vinca plants seems to be half-dead. David thinks it is not getting enough water. Or it might be some other reason.
At any rate, we plan to buy more vinca and fill up the area with purple flowers.
Good luck, I am not good with flowers. I have only had beetles on my roses. Hope you find out how to get rid of you pests.
ReplyDeleteKay, I have asked my fellow Red Dirt sister Dee of Red Dirt Ramblings blog to take a look and offer you advice if poss. She is a gardening queen and also in my blogroll!
ReplyDeleteAphid often attack plants that are unhealthy and under stress. I would guess that your plant did not like its location or perhaps its pot or the siol in it.
ReplyDeleteWe have a soap spray product here called Safer. Look for it at a nursery. But with aphid you have to spray every three of four days over a fairly long period, as the bugs have several generations of babies already in their bodies ready to take over. The ants will go when the aphid are gone.
Thanks for all the help, everybody. I'll give it all a try.
ReplyDeleteConcrete over the garden?
ReplyDeleteLove the new banner. Did you take it?
Tilly Bud: Yup! I took it today out the car window when we went to the OTHER side of the island to check out vinyl windows.
ReplyDeleteGgggh! That's terrible! Well, if soap and spiritus don't help, I don't know what to do either.
ReplyDeleteAll I've ever heard is soapy water too, but it never worked for me either. Several years back I found an aphid spray at the garden center and it seemed to work for a while -- but I found I had to reapply it every few weeks, and in the end got sick of buying bug spray and checking all the time, so ripped it out. Trouble is, anything I planted after also got infested -- do aphids hide in the soil maybe? Anyhow, if nothing works, there's always garden statues... LOL
ReplyDeleteAll I've ever heard is soapy water too, but it never worked for me either. Several years back I found an aphid spray at the garden center and it seemed to work for a while -- but I found I had to reapply it every few weeks, and in the end got sick of buying bug spray and checking all the time, so ripped it out. Trouble is, anything I planted after also got infested -- do aphids hide in the soil maybe? Anyhow, if nothing works, there's always garden statues... LOL
ReplyDeleteI had luck with a solution of soap, bleach and water. I applied it every day. You need to take the ants out as well as the aphids or the ants will just go get more and bring them back -- to whatever plant is there.
ReplyDeleteLady bugs do love aphids. You might want to start picking them up wherever you find them and bringing them home to live on your plant!
Oh! Amoeba says do be careful. He thinks all of the cracks and crevices in Oahu are filled with ants and if you are too successful at killing them you might start a cascade effect and sink the island. LOL!
ReplyDelete