RE: Myrtus

Yes, thrips are worse in dry summers--but *all* our summers are bone dry. It
makes thrips one of this area's worst pests. A good weekly wash helps alot
on
susceptible plants but I had a severe labor 
shortage in the latter half of 2002 (which are better now since they've
allowed
me to hire a student from the horticulture program)
and we didn't keep up and they got away from us. Not just the Myrtle but
also
Viburnum, Ilex, Rhododendron, Arbutus, all got hit. We have alot of work to
catch up on, as well as stopping as much as possible new damage this year.
We
are having a spell of warm dry weather so I'm dreading the results of the
sticky
traps that we will be hanging next week. Wish me luck!

____________________Reply Separator____________________
Subject:    Re: Myrtus
Author: "Tony and Moira Ryan" <SMTP:theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Date:       1/15/03 1:56 PM

I don't know if it is the same in your area, but here we tend to find
that thrips is much more prevalent in the garden in very dry summers. We
can sometimes go several years without any trouble when there are
unusually moist seasons and then a dry one will bring them out with a
vengence.. In our "no-summer" last year I saw none at all in the open
garden, but I am being much more vigilant this year when already we have
had one fairly long run of completely dry weather. So far all is well
and the(very welcome) inch or so of rain we have had over the last few
days may stave 'em off a bit longer.

This makes me wonder if an occasional brisk hosing would help to stave
off attacks.

One further point, where one already has had trouble with them they may
die away in winter but they apparently often leave eggs behind on the
plants they have fed on  and so it is suggested one should spray
previously-infested plants quite early in the season, even before any
symptoms are visible, to try and catch the first hatchings.

Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ.     Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index