Last week we took the opportunity to reintroduce ourselves, for the benefit of first time readers.  As promised in that blog, today we are posting a brief overview of the five most popular beneficial insects for your garden. The text was actually published last July on our blog site and we are reproducing parts of it here today:

“Introducing beneficial insects to the garden to keep insect pests in check is the best way to becoming more environmentally friendly.  Biofloris is committed to providing the highest quality beneficials for the garden as well as educational support for release and establishment in your garden.

Quick reminder:

• A predator in this context is an insect that catches and consumes other insects (prey). Please click here for more information on pest insects.
• A parasitizer in this context is an insect that inserts it’s own eggs into the larva or egg of another host and consumes the host internally

Convergent Lady Beetles, Lady Birds, Lady Bugs (Hippodamia convergens)

Convergent Lady Beetles, Lady Birds, Lady Bugs

Of all the beneficial insects around, the convergent Lady Bug is probably the most familiar to homeowners and children alike as a friend to your garden.  Both the larva and adult have a voracious appetite for many different species of aphids; so encouraging these pretty little beetles in the garden makes good sense. The only drawback is that it is often difficult to find them in local stores or garden centers…

Beneficial Nematodes (Steinernema carpocapsae & Heterohabditis bacteriophora)

Beneficial nematodes

…to control various lawn grubs such as Japanese Beetle, June Beetle and European Chafer.  These microscopic worms are a powerful tool to grub control if released under the right conditions. …

Brown Lacewings (Hemerobius spp.)

Brown Lacewings

Unlike the more familiar green lacewings, brown lacewings are active at night.  They control numerous garden pests such as mites, leafhoppers, mealybugs, thrips and whitefly.

Parasitic Wasps (Trichogramma spp.)

Parasitic Wasps

This is one of the smallest parasitic wasps around, and the best thing about this wasp is that it parasitizes over 200 different spp. of moth and butterfly eggs before the larva emerge and damage plant foliage.

Praying Mantis (Mantis spp.)

Praying Mantis

A fascinating appearance and front legs that strike with lightening speed, these highly predacious insects feed on flies, moths, crickets and grasshoppers, to name just a few.  They generally are more easily established in gardens using organic practices…”

http://www.biofloris.com/blog_en/2010/07/beneficial-insects-for-the-garden/

Next week, we’ll provide a brief reminder as to how to ensure proper application of beneficial insects in your garden.

One of our readers, Trevor Thomas of Burnaby, British Columbia, recently sent us this text about Neem oil. 

“I was first introduced to Neem oil through the Vancouver Orchid Society as an insect repellent. Neem oil is derived from a tree that grows in India. It is a brown oily substance and from what I know, it is extremely bitter, hence its insect repellent qualities. It is non-toxic which makes it ideal for indoor plants.

Pure or mixed?

You can purchase Neem oil in its pure form and mix this with liquid soap or you can purchase it in a mixed concoction. In the past, when I’ve looked for Neem oil, it was hard to find in its pure form. I have seen it sold and marketed as a spray that you can use to enhance the texture of the leaves on your plants.

Desirable effects

A desirable side effect of Neem oil is that it leaves a shiny waxy texture on the leaves of plants that you spray it on. However, I find it is best suited as an insect repellent. If your plant is infected with mealy bugs or aphids Neem oil may not be your best bet in killing these pests, but once you’ve eradicated the bugs then I would definitely recommend a weekly regimen of Neem oil.”

Neem Oil

Write to us

Let us know when, how and in what form you use Neem oil.  We’d love to hear more on the topic!  Also, you can read or re-read or post from last year:

http://www.biofloris.com/blog_en/2010/02/neem-oil-for-indoor-plants/

When we plan our seed purchases for the up-coming gardening season we tend to get carried away with great ideas for beauty and appetite. Just a reminder: make sure you purchase seeds of plants that will attract and provide a comfortable home to ladybugs.  Ladybugs are instrumental in fighting off numerous pest insects that can harm your plants.  That said, the ladybug-friendly plants on our list are actually quite beautiful and some of them, like mint and dill, are a delicious addition to your herb garden!

For more info and to help you with that list, we refer you to your blog of February 02, 2010:

“Just a quick reminder to those who are planning their seed purchase…don’t forget to include on your list seeds of plants and flowers which are popular amongst lady bugs. For those gardeners who plan to buy ladybugs as a natural, organic insecticide against a bunch of common pest insects (including aphids, mites, scales, thrips and small insect larvae) that can literally ruin plants, it is important to “welcome” your gardening ally appropriately. Plan now to ensure that the ladybugs you will purchase will feel at home. Remember: if they feel at home, they will stay in your garden rather than fly off to the neighbor’s and they will be of more use to you. The following plants are some which supply ladybugs with pollen:

• Sweet alyssum
• Golden rod
• Daisies
• Yarrow
• Dill
• Mint

Certainly there are other plants ladybugs like. Feel free to add to this list and….thanks in advance !”

http://www.biofloris.com/beneficial-insects/ladybugs-hippodamia-convergens-predator-1000-bag.html?___store=default&___from_store=francais

Orchid

Last week, we posted a blog on how to best take care of orchids. Over the next couple of weeks or so, we will be sharing some footnotes to our orchid text, including a tidbit about vanilla and some more photographs of orchids.

Today, we’d like to share the following post with you, written by Michele Collet.

Enjoy!

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-dramatic-and-amazing-sex-life-orchids

Orchid

Orchids

Orchid

Many of our readers have written asking us how to best take care of their orchids.  We consulted a biofloris.com friend named William who is a biologist and works at the Big Barn Garden Centre in Victoria, BC.  William was kind enough to submit 10 key pointers indicated below.

Keep in mind:  most of the commercially available orchids are tree dwellers. They live on branches on trees in the wild. If you try to mimic such conditions and heed these ten pointers carefully, you will find they are easy to grow and will produce flowers regularly.

1.- Don’t put the orchid in direct sunlight, but in a bright room. Direct sunlight will burn the leaves.

2.- The potting medium is bark to mimic the tree branch. The roots need to breathe. So don’t add soil to the bark medium. The orchids get all their nutrients from the slow decomposition of the bark.

3.- Let the medium dry out between waterings but don’t leave the potting medium dry for too long.

4.- Water the orchid by placing the pot in a sink and pouring water through the medium. Make sure you get the aerial roots wet too. Let the water completely drain before putting the pot back on the table or shelf or wherever you keep the orchid. In the wild, water pours down the branch, wets the orchids’ roots and drains away quickly.

Orchid

5.- Some roots will grow out of the pot. Don’t try to bury them. They are aerial roots.

6.- Don’t let the orchids sit in water. If left in standing water, the roots will rot and the plant will die. (that’s why you let the plant drain in the sink as in 4 above). Try not to get water on the leaves or let it sit in the crevice of the leaves either. Again, this causes rot. If you do get water in the crevices, dab it out with a paper towel).

7.- Fertilize the orchid when it is growing. It will usually grow only one thing at a time: a root; a leaf; a flower stock. When you fertilize, water the plant first, then pour the fertilizer solution through. This is because you want to make sure the roots are wet before your fertilize them.

Orchid

8.- Water with room temperature water so as not to shock the plant.

9.- There are specially formulated fertilizers for orchids, although I have had good success with all-purpose fertilizer. If you are growing orchids in bark, you can use a fertilizer with higher nitrogen (typically 30-10-10). Organic fertilizers are available from biofloris.com. If you use regular houseplant fertilizer be sure to dilute the solution by at least half, otherwise you will burn the orchid roots.

10.-  There can be some pests but because orchids are small, you can usually handle the pests in the most environmentally friendly way and that is using a q-tip soaked in alcohol and dabbing each bug off individually. The most frequent ones I have come across are aphids and mealy bugs.

Now for some interesting links:

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.  Here is someone’s list of the world’s 30 most beautiful orchids:

First 15:        

http://gomestic.com/gardening/top-15-worlds-most-beautiful-orchids/

Second 15:  

http://gomestic.com/gardening/the-worlds-most-beautiful-orchids-two/

And here is a photo encyclopedia of orchids, with more than 12,000 species listed. It is user generated.

http://www.orchidspecies.com/]

Orchidaceae, the orchid family, is the world’s second largest family of flowering plants, the first being the asters (sunflowers, daisies, etc). Scroll to the bottom of the following page to see some of the amazing variety that this family produces:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchidaceae

Terrie Greco, B.A.; HLT Dip.

Phenology?  What on earth does that mean?  Well, and very simply put, it is the science of making associations with certain stages of plant development with the timing of pest emergence.  Climatic variables such as temperature, moisture and day length all play a part in when a plant will break bud and bloom – we can co-relate the hatching of insect eggs, for example – with the bud break or blooming of an ‘indicator’ plant.  Good indicator plants are ones in which they are common to a large geographical area (a province or state), are easy to grow and have a short but well defined period of bloom. Gardeners can use indicator plants to predict pest emergence and plan effective treatment at the correct stage. A monthly calendar is not an accurate predictor for plant bloom times.  For example, unseasonably warm or cool temperatures in the spring can advance or delay plant flowering.  As it says on the USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) website:  ‘Phenology, put another way, is simply nature’s calendar’.  Well said!  Here is the link for this website where you can find all sorts of fascinating information and opportunities to become an observer in your area.

http://www.usanpn.org/about 

 Interestingly enough, the plant indicator in bloom may not even be a host for the pest we are watching for– but it has the same climatic requirements to emerge from a life cycle stage as the plant does to bloom.

Example – in Ontario and Quebec – when Saucer Magnolias (Magnolia soulangiana) are in the pink bud stage …. Cooley and Eastern Spruce Gall Adelgids should be treated with natural insecticides.  Note that these aphid like-insects do not harm Magnolia, only certain Spruce species and Douglas Fir.

Example – in Ontario and Quebec – when Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) is in bloom – Gypsy Moth eggs will begin to hatch

Get the picture?  Regardless of where you live in North America, you can find a phenology calendar or publication from your local horticultural or agricultural extension office that can help you accurately predict pest emergence.  It’s really the coolest thing to know.

Here are a couple of pictures and links to explain further.

Image 1 – Magnolia soulangiana – Saucer Magnolia in bloom

Image 1 – Magnolia soulangiana – When the Saucer Magnolia is in bloom, gardeners should be checking conifers for Cooley and Eastern Spruce Gall Adelgids.

Magnolia image provided by www.permed.com/…/Magnolia_soulangiana_tree.jpg

For more information and images the Cooley and Eastern Spruce Gall Adelgids, check out the following two links:

 http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/publications/00198/Cooley_spruce_gall_adelgid.htm

 http://www.forestry.ubc.ca/fetch21/FRST308/lab4/adelges_abietis/spruce.html

Image 2 - Amelanchier canadensis, Serviceberry in spring bloom

Image 2 – Amelanchier canadensis When the Serviceberry is in spring bloom, gardeners should be watching for the emergence of Gypsy Moth Caterpillars on various tree species. Serviceberry image from the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, Kent Co.

 For information on the Gypsy Moth, check out the following link:

 http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/factsheets/gypsy-moth

Terrie Greco, B.A.; HLT Dip.

Many species of ants contribute to the ecology of the landscape, though there are times when we wish we could banish them from the home and garden.  But you have to admire the work ethic of these ‘system engineers’.

The most common ants found on properties are small pavement and odorous ants.  They are fairly easy to control using residual Pyrethrin sprays or Borax based baits.  As a socially organized colony, the workers are really the only ones that enter the home foraging for food. The Queen hides deep in the nest – doing what Queen’s do best -wearing nice hats and waving to the masses.   Seriously now…

Ants enter through cracks and crevices and are looking for a food source. Common sense dictates that if you see ants around baseboards (they usually create a path in straight lines) or on counters – you need to repair any openings around foundations and doorways.  Protect food in airtight containers, wipe counters and baseboards with common vinegar (to disrupt pheromone trails) and practice good housekeeping – these simple habits will repel and minimize ants in the home. 

In the garden, ants have a mutualistic relationship with aphids.  Aphids produce a sticky sweet substance called honeydew which is a great food source for ant colonies.  Ants protect, defend and transport wingless aphids in return for the privilege of ‘herding’ and ‘milking’ aphids for the rich honeydew. 

Controlling ant’s outdoors requires patience and observation – make note of the ant pathways back to the nest and use diatomaceous earth or borax baits along the trails.

Take a look at the photos and links to learn more about the many species of ants, their odd behaviours, their relationships with other insects and natural control.  They are a fascinating and complex creature.  By the way, thank you to Alex Wild, a biologist at the University of Illinois for letting me reproduce these pictures here on the Biofloris blog. To see many other insect photos, check out his website at: http://www.alexanderwild.com/

Tetramorium caespitum - The Pavement Ant is a common household pest in many parts of North America. Photo courtesy of Alex Wild, http://www.alexanderwild.com/

Tapinoma sessile – The Odorous House Ant has a distinct smell when crushed – some say like rotten coconut! Photo courtesy of Alex Wild, http://www.alexanderwild.com/

References:

• A great list of different types of ants from the University of Minnesota

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/m1166.html

• A wonderful video called Lord of the Ants, narrated by Harrison Ford with Edward O. Wilson, a world renowned naturalist.

http://video.pbs.org/video/980049632/

• An ant game – match a species of ant with their peculiar behaviour

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/eowilson/game.html

• A fascinating article on the relationship between ants and aphids from Science Daily

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071009212548.htm

• Excellent reference info from Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavement_ant

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapinoma_sessile

• How to make Borax Ant Bait

http://www.ehow.com/how_4881566_make-borax-ant-bait.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKbj3ZDmvdU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25Jk8mz4-Ww&feature=related