Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to use for spraying for iris borers? I know know is the correct time to be spraying what have any of you used sucessfully.
Iris Borers
I've never sprayed for iris borers but last year I noticed I some damage while dividing some of my larger iris clumps. I copied the following information from Schreiner's Gardens web site:
"First, always maintain a clean garden. If you see the borers in the leaves, simply squash them. We recommend using the insecticide Cygon 2-E. Spray in two week intervals from about the time the tulips bloom through mid-summer. A 10% solution of Murphy's Oil Soap (one part soap for every nine parts water) can be used as an organic alternative to Cygon."
http://www.schreinersgardens.com/
Iris borers overwinter in the foliage. Best prevention is to cut them back in the fall and clean up well around plants. Too late for this year, but try it next year. Best wishes, tish.
Check the clumps through the summer. Brown stippling on the leaves are a sign that they are hatching and eating. Later on you can rub the leaves down and actually feel them in there, just squeeze and squash them before they move on down to the root. If they do make it down there all still is not lost. Iris borer causes a secondary infection of soft bacterial rot (smells like rotten potatoes) and if you notice this smell or that the leaves are falling over, dig down and with a sharp knife cut away the infected part. You should run into the bad boy that caused it also. Smash him and cut out the rotten part. Take comet cleanser with bleach and sprinkle it on the exposed root. This will save the plant and it will recover nicely. I usually don't spray but I do clean up well (don't compost the debris) and keep a watch. Some varieties seem more prone to iris borer than others.
Orthene or any other systemic spray will do in the borers because it gets into all parts of the plant. You need to use it judiciously though because it gets in the blooms and is harmful to bees, birds,rabbits, deer WOODCHUCKS! Hmmm I gotta go now...need to mix up a big batch of orthene
Ohh...I bet this is what is wrong with some of my iris. I thought they were in a spot that was too moist, but the above descriptions sound much more like what they are suffering from. I have iris throughout the yard, how do these borers spread?
I used the Cygon it worked very well.
Paul