Gardening advice, please!

[steepholm]

I have very few plants in my garden, but one of them is a mock orange, which I bought because the scent reminds me of my father's own vigorous specimen, and hence my childhood. Alas, I've yet to get it to blossom, and I see today that its juicy tips are covered with black fly. What should I do? I'm loth to buy chemical nasties, and think that picking them off by hand may be a Canutish enterprise. However, I see that one can buy adult ladybirds online, who will happily scoff the little buggers. Has anyone ever tried that? Would you recommend it?

Ha - talking of childhood memories, I just remembered my first political insight, which probably dates from the time of the 1970 election. I remember asking my mother the names of the parties, and she duly told me they were called Conservative, Liberal and Labour - but I misshead the last one as Neighbour, and having been taught in school that I must Love my Neighbour I said, "I like that one best!" My mother, being a Labour voter herself, seemed quite pleased; but I don't think she ever knew the reason for my choice. It was around that time I decided to become a Man Utd fan, because I liked the colour of their strip. Of such random choices is a visceral tribalism born.

Comments

Mock Orange

[briankeaney.livejournal.com]

You need to cut it back in late Spring/early Summer (usually after it's finished blossoming). I attack mine with an electric hedgetrimmer. It loves it.

Re: Mock Orange

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

My hasn't been persuaded to blossom yet! But maybe it's a little early?

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Wow, I think you should just buy adult ladybirds online anyway. I don't know whether they will save your afflicted mock orange, but how cool is that?

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I must admit, the idea is strangely attractive.

[intertext.livejournal.com]

It may be a little early - mine usually blooms in late May or early June. I find that blasting black aphids with a hose works well. You have to do it every few days, but at least you are not killing anything else in the process. Importation of ladybirds has mixed results; I've heard that they have a tendency to fly away home.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I've heard that they have a tendency to fly away home.

I was afraid of that. The ingrates!

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

It really does simplify things, that my cricket team, my football team and my political party are all red.

[briankeaney.livejournal.com]

Mine's blossoming right now. But I live in London. If yours doesn't blossom in the next few weeks, it probably isn't going to. I should cut it back vigorously at the end of May and hope for the best next year.

[shark-hat.livejournal.com]

I've never tried it, but people do recommend spraying the aphids with a soap solution- use the cheapest unscented soap you can find, I should think, and try it on a couple of leaves first and see if it harms them. (This is from Vegan News's site which came high up on googling: "You can make your own solution up, by adding 2 oz (56 g) of grated household soap (or soapflakes) to a gallon (4.5 litres) of hot water. Allow to cool before spraying onto infected plants. Soft soap solution can also be made from old, leftover slivers of soap. So, don't throw these away! Collect them in a jam jar, cover them with water and leave to soften for a while. Finally, stir the mixture until it becomes jelly-like and put a small amount of the soap jelly into a plant spray. You will need to dilute it with more water before using it to spray your aphids.") I'd imagine you'd have to respray if they came back, or after it rained!

[emmaco.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've got rid of aphids before (but not on mock orange which is an environmental weed in Brisbane!) with a soap solution. It worked well!

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I'd definitely got some slivers of Simple Soap about the place, so maybe I'll try that. Thanks!

[booksandtea.livejournal.com]

I second the spraying with soapy water advice. Beneficial bugs are usually used in greenhouses where they can't escape.

Also, I don't know what sort of ladybirds they are offering, but if it's Asian ones, don't introduce them. It's too late already really but those are already an invasive species in Europe and we don't need any more of them around. Their larvae eat the European ladybird larvae and they are harmful for grape crops because of their stink. And they bite.

[diceytillerman.livejournal.com]

Ladybirds?! I have only ever heard of them as ladybugs and had to google!

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I used to wonder whether LBJ's wife was known in the States as Lady Bug Johnson, but I gather not!