Flower Gardens

» bebob51 - my garden

Another question, you can tell I've been in my garden today. Tomatoes are doing fine but now I have a ? re: Narteriums. I found them FULL of something 'black', aphids? I thought they were and last week sprayed with Diazinon and it killed the plant. So, now I nned help please

-- posted by bebob51

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» Cottage_Garden - How to Control Aphids

In response to my garden posted by bebob51:

Um well, I didn't think Diazinon is even sold to homeowners any more.... kinda toxic stuff, killed a lot of birds and got into groundwater .... But anyway.

Softbodied sucking insects in quantity on nasturtiums are probably aphids, sometimes they will really cover the plant. In some gardens these are used as a trap crop to try to divert the aphids from other plantings.

No need for the big guns on aphids. You can knock aphids off the plant with a strong spray of water from the garden hose, or you can treat them with commercially formulated insecticidal soap, or you can just be patient and wait for the ladybugs to come along and control them for you.

Hope this helps!

-- posted by Cottage_Garden

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» Cottage_Garden - no more Diazinon sales

FYI Here is information from the EPA about stopping Diazinon sales.

-- posted by Cottage_Garden

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» bebob51 - no more Diazinon sales

In response to no more Diazinon sales posted by Cottage_Garden:

Barbara,
Thanks so much for info. On my way to buy Lady Bugs, they're
just 'cute'...but I will be water spraying them , today. Also,
had no idea re: Diazinon, was found in the shed, probably very
old.
Thanks again, didn't know who to ask.

-- posted by bebob51

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» Cottage_Garden - Integrated Pest Management IPM

In response to no more Diazinon sales posted by bebob51:
It's absolutely understandable. Thinking has changed a lot in recent years -- modern IPM or Integrated Pest Management principles direct gardeners to use the least toxic means to control pests and even suggest that sometimes damage can be tolerated if it is only cosmetic and does not threaten the life or usefulness of the plant.
Another couple of once widely used chemicals that are no longer sold for home garden use that one might find in the shed are Dursban and Lindane... seems like every year we find more safety reasons to restrict chemical use in the garden.

-- posted by Cottage_Garden

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