Some days start off perfectly - the slow and steady rise from sleep to wakefulness, the smell and taste of a fresh brewed coffee and the deliciousness of a cooked breakfast. Finally as the sun starts to warm up the garden you get motivated to go outside and enjoy the day by being productive.
You take a slow stroll around the garden creating a mental checklist of what needs to be done when you stop short. What on earth has happened to my beautiful plants? They were fine yesterday (or whatever day I was last out here!) Now suddenly they are in dire need of a little TLC. The perfect morning is slowly spiraling downhill.
Even through the cold months insects can play havoc in our gardens.
Aphids on my rose buds
An easy way to keep insects and disease at bay is to keep our plants healthy. I fertilise every three months with a complete organic slow release fertiliser - Organic Link and I try to liquid fertilise every two weeks. Little and often is a great mantra. Fertilising regularly is a great way of helping our plants stay strong and able to fight off disease and insects.
Sometimes though even the best laid plans go astray and plants unfortunately will get disease and insects, it even happens to the best of us green thumbs!
At the moment I am finding that aphids are having a feast in my garden. With the warm days many of my plants have tender, yummy, new shoots appearing, just what aphids love. There are many different species of Aphids; they are all small sap sucking insects that vary in colour from green to yellow and black.
Aphids don’t just suck the life from your plants they also transmit virus diseases such as broad bean wilt. Aphids also secrete a sweet sugary honeydew which can lead to other problems like sooty mold.
Natural predators are lady birds but most of us don't have enough lady birds to stop an infestation.
I like to use neem oil to combat most insects in the garden but two other great organic products are Ecofend® and Eco Oil. Some people find alternating between them is a great idea.
Go and check all your flower buds and new growth. My camellia flowers and hibiscus flowers were inundated with aphids this morning.
Remember prevention is better than the cure so if you haven't fertilised recently now is a great time to do it.