bugs & beasties

Early this year I noticed blackfly feasting on my lovely Cardoons... I thought about spraying with an organic spray (after the bees have gone to bed of course!) and then noticed that among the blackfly there were some ladybird larvae and realised the spray would kill them too. So I decided on a 'rebranding' exercise: I'd see if I could look at this as a 'ladybird breeding programme' rather than a 'blackfly problem', and leave them alone to see what would happen. The Cardoons are in an area that's been organically gardened for at least 3 years and has really diverse planting that attracts loads of different insects so I crossed my fingers & hoped that pests and predators would find a balance. Over the next few weeks I watched and sure enough the numbers of ladybirds, eggs and larvae gradually increased, and the blackfly decreased until the Cardoons were completely clean. Amazing! You think they'll never be able to get the better of them but little by little they take over. The long term benefit was that now I had a really thriving population of ladybirds ready to tackle any other aphid attack elsewhere in the garden - if I'd zapped the blackfly at first sight, this wouldn't have happened.It's made me have a hard think about so-called organic sprays - OK, they may not be harmful for the environment, but overuse prevents the natural biodiversity in a garden from developing as it should, and then pest problems can really get out of hand! Bugs are the building blocks of complex and healthy networks of wildlife: knock these out and the layers on top which depend on them, will struggle. OK, I'm not suggesting we all let blackfly slaughter your broad beans (tried that, didn't work!) but on vigorous plants, it may be worth having a little more faith in nature's ability to sort things out by herself. And it's all fascinating to watch :o)
Votes: 0
E-mail me when people leave their comments –

Comments

  • PRO
    I have a 'live and let live' policy too. Leave lots of seed heads and stems over the winter so that the population remains strong for next year or buy a few bug boxes if you don't have any already. Hover flies are also brilliant - they have larvae that eat aphids too.
This reply was deleted.

You need to be a member of Landscape Juice Network to add comments!

Join Landscape Juice Network

Open forum activity

Alistair Copley updated their profile
14 hours ago
robert pryor replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"I have a 6ft pair of Niwakis, wish i’d had them years before I did. I initially got the 8fts and immediately realised they would be a pain for the majority of hedges I used to cut. I think they are brilliant just make sure they are seated properly.…"
14 hours ago
Samuel Beresford-Foster is now a member of Landscape Juice Network
23 hours ago
Adam Woods replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"I wouldn't cut a hedge without one. Anything over 6' you should get with 3 adjustable legs, otherwise they can be unstable if you lean - but positioned correctly they are the only way. 
Befrore retirement I had an 8' and a 4; . The 4' went in the…"
yesterday
John F replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"Yes had that scenario where you can't reach a fiddly bit no matter what ladder and have to balance on the apex of a shed roof or do best job painstakingly with a long reach pole pruner . "
yesterday
PGM replied to PGM's discussion Grass Cutting 2026 Season
"We've just finished our second week, so that's a full round of all customers now, and didn't have a single one we couldn't do. It's been a really good start here in the north west and now with nice sunny weather coming up this week it's a great time…"
yesterday
Duncan Neville replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"I'm very wary of these tripod ladders, I took a life changing fall from the top of a 12ft tripod. Now I only use them myself with great care. The issue is that they are very unstable at the top if you lean to either side, and they go with no…"
yesterday
Billybop replied to PGM's discussion Grass Cutting 2026 Season
"Done a couple of second cuts already this last week would you believe. It's almost as if the grass has a memory of last year's drought and is making up for it now plenty of moisture available"
yesterday
Billybop replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"the tripods are good but in some scenarios the wide base and the fact the 3rd leg has to be placed some distance away from the step part for stability makes this large foot print impractical eg when cutting hedge behind a shed or greenhouse with…"
Sunday
Graham Taylor replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"Never tried these but always thought they look a bit of a pain to cart about. Looking at the picture, seems you're quite away from the hedge so you have to reach out more?   I just use ordinary aluminium extension ladders that you can easily adjust…"
Saturday
Sam Bainbridge replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"Tripods are better than any other ladder that's a fact. You can cut hedges that are lower than the ladder but it is more awkward, I have a 6ft amd a 12 foot been using both for the last 15yrs and haven't come stuck yet. Believe me once you've had…"
Saturday
Intelligent Landscapes replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"I agree with HB. 12 foot Henchman with 3 adjustable legs are fantastic and we use them all the time."
Saturday
Joseph Taylor and The Stonemart Ltd are now friends
Friday
Honey Badger replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"You won't regret it, they are most comfortable ladders to use. Worth every penny."
Friday
matt replied to Julian chambers's discussion Price increases
"Increase prices every year, costs go up every year both on business and at home so otherwise your taking a pay cut, i dont get greedy i make small increases annually but as I do it every year and customers have learned thats part and parcel of it,…"
Friday
matt replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"i have two sizes and couldnt be without them, as use the smaller set for lower hedges so ladders never in the way and ive never bothered with the platform ladders"
Friday
More…

Does moss always = full renovation

Hi.Does a mossey lawn always equal a full lawn renovation? Once you kill (or control) moss the customer is left with brown / black dead moss all over their lawn. So then its needs scarifying to rake it up, then usually a preseed fert, seed and top…

Read more…
8 Replies · Reply by PGM on Thursday
Views: 400