Roses coming into full bloom now
frustrating insect pests to deal with is the potato/ tomato psyllid. When they are first active in the garden, they are smaller than can be seen without a good magnifying glass. The psyllid injects a bacterial pathogen into the plant which once infected can’t be treated. Therefore, if you wait to see damage it will be too late. The psyllid is easily controlled with Yates Mavrik or Yates Success which prevents infection. With the warmer weather and insect pests now active, now is the time to start spraying potatoes and tomatoes for prevention of the potato/ tomato psyllid.
Another problem in the garden is when young seedlings have been planted out. Being small they are particularly vulnerable to damage. Slugs and snails are common culprits and are easily controlled by slug bait, beer traps or nightly torch missions with a bucket. They tend to vanish during the day, but a substantial population can often be found at night. A less suspected culprit but often quite destructive are attacks from birds. There are a variety of methods that can be used to protect against birds and include; bird scare tapes, hang DVDs or other sparkly items which reflect light which scares the birds. The use of wire netting cloches and covering with bird netting are highly effective methods.
Keeping an awareness of weather conditions is vital for protecting susceptible plants from fungus diseases such as mildew, botrytis and rust which can appear quickly and devastate a crop. High humidity and rain combined with warm temperatures are the triggers and once on a crop it is difficult to remedy. Watching for such conditions and then use a preventative spray of Grosafe Freeflow Copper is recommended. This spray is bio grow organically certified which is a big plus.
Have a great week!