Perennials: My delphiniums are up and growing - what next? Part Two!, 1 by dowdeswell

dowdeswell wrote:
Thanks for your comments.
Both these comments are in line with other reports we have. No need to resort to chemicals. A great plus.

Jo, Re the earwigs: We have trouble with them eating pollen in our breeding and seed production houses and have found the best solution to be providing them with comfortable home in the form of rolled up newspapers which we place every couple of metres along the rows. We then simply do the rounds of the earwig hotels in the mornings every few days, empty them by tapping on the ground and squashing the evacuees. They soon diminish and only need periodic attention. This method may not work so well in a garden situation. How do you control them?

I'm surprised about the aphids as we have had no problems whatsoever here in New Zealand over the twenty years or so that we've grown them. We do have aphids on other plants though. Maybe they are different species.

Interestingly we don't have problems with caterpillars. The caterpillars we have survive only long enough to ingest about a quarter inch of delphinium leaf before poisoning themselves. I'm please we don't have your species over here either.

Anyone have anything else attacking your delphiniums?

Cheers

Terry


Image New Millennium "Royal Aspirations"