Category: What To Do Now

WHAT A PEST! WE’RE SEEING ORANGE APHIDS AN OLD AND NEW PLANT GROWTH!

Aphids are tiny (adults are under ¼-inch), and often nearly invisible to the naked eye. Various species can appear white, black, brown, gray, yellow, light green, or even pink! Some may have a waxy or woolly coating. They have pear-shaped bodies with long antennae; the nymphs look similar to adults. Most species have two short tubes (called cornicles) projecting from their hind end.

aphid2Nymphs and adults feed on plant juices, attacking leaves, stems, buds, flowers, fruit, and/or roots, depending on the species. Most aphids especially like succulent or new growth. Some, such as the green peach aphid, feed on a variety of plants, while others, such as the rosy apple aphid, focus on one or just a few plant hosts.

  • Look for misshapen, curling, stunted, or yellowing leaves. Be sure to check the undersides of leaves; aphids love to hide there.
  • If the leaves or stems are covered with a sticky substance, that is a sign that aphids may have been sipping sap. This “honeydew,” a sugary liquid produced by the insects as waste, can attract other insects, such as ants, which gather the substance for food. When aphids feed on trees, their honeydew can drop onto cars, outdoor furniture, driveways, and so on.
  • The honeydew can sometimes encourage a fungal growth called sooty mold, causing branches and leaves to appear black.
  • Flowers or fruit can become distorted or deformed due to feeding aphids.
  • Some aphid species cause galls to form on roots or leaves.
  • Aphids may transmit viruses between plants, and also attract other insects that prey on them, such as ladybugs. 

Stop by PAYNE’S NORTH and ask our gardening experts which insecticide would work best for your particular problem.


PAYNE’S TIP: Hose off (not with a heavy stream as to not damage the plant) or just rub them off of the plants to remove them.

ZODIAC SIGNS AND GARDENING? HERE’S THIS CYCLES PROFILE.

by The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Here’s THIS MONTHS ZODIAC SIGN PROFILE AND HOW IT CAN HELP YOU GARDEN:


VIRGO (AUGUST 23 to SEPTEMBER)
Virgo ends the summer. The major heat of the season is beginning to pass, and there is a hint of a change just around the corner. As this sign truly represents the harvest, you, an industrious soul, love all things that last or keep. Potatoes are a big favorite here, as well as corn and many varieties of winter squashes. You are an ardent organizer; we expect to see neat, trim rows of vegetables in your gardens. Gloves live on your hands for the entire growing season, as you love to check items off of your “to-do” list with patient persistence. Everything has its place in these kitchens, and meat and potatoes are on the menu with
consistent regularity.