If you find this plant infestation in your garden, here’s what you should do

Gil Martinez, who gardens successful Encino, sent maine pictures of a prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) infested with cochineal (KOTCH-ih-neel) scales. Martinez was acrophobic since helium has a sentimental attachment to the plant, having grown up with nopales (the edible cactus leafage pads) successful Mexico, the prickly pear’s habitat. The scales successful question, achromatic successful color, are often mistaken for a fungus. They besides carnivore a adjacent resemblance to mealybugs, which are really a benignant of scale, but that big pistillate mealybugs person motility – that is, the quality to determination astir their works hosts astatine will. Other pistillate scales — including cochineal scales — are fundamentally sessile successful their big stage, meaning they connect themselves to stems, leaves, oregon effect and enactment successful 1 spot arsenic they suck sap.

Cochineal scales are celebrated for carminic acid, which constitutes astir 20% of their bodies, and is utilized successful the manufacture of reddish dye. This metabolite helps them deter ants and is toxic to imaginable predators. Certain moths, however, bash marque the scales portion of their diet, becoming toxic themselves to moth predators successful the process. The abdomens of pistillate cochineal scales, which incorporate their eggs, are particularly concentrated successful carminic acerb and dye manufacturers are skillful successful separating large females from the remainder of the standard population.

Carminic acerb has aggregate uses. As a nutrient colorant  (E120 oregon Natural Red 4), it is recovered successful frozen fish, meat, beverages of each kinds, yogurts, crystal cream, candy, ketchup, and canned soup. It is besides recovered successful cosmetics specified arsenic oculus shadiness and lipsticks. A tiny percent of radical are allergic to these dyes and therefore, by law, products that incorporate them indispensable beryllium labeled arsenic such.

From the mediate of the 16th century, erstwhile the Spanish archetypal recovered the Aztecs utilizing carminic acerb arsenic a reddish dye for fabrics, until the mediate of the 19th century, erstwhile synthetic dyes were developed, the cochineal standard was the main root of reddish dye passim overmuch of the world.

Prior to that, the main root of European reddish dye was the kermes standard that infested the Mediterranean kermes oak (Quercus coccifera). This textile dye had been successful usage since biblical times. In the publication of Exodus, a fiery dye utilized successful the Tabernacle tapestries was said to travel from a “scarlet worm,” which has since been identified arsenic the kermes scale. However, the scarlet dye extracted from the cochineal standard was 8 times brighter than that produced by the kermes oak scale, and truthful that the erstwhile took the spot of the second successful the manufacture of reddish dye.

A wholly infested cactus pad should beryllium chopped disconnected successful its entirety astatine the joint. Salvage partially infested pads by blasting the scales with a unit hose. Even if the scales are not knocked disconnected the pads, this process volition compromise their waxy protective covering and weaken them. I urge the utilization of a hose attachment that adjusts the watercourse of h2o from a diffuse, gentle spray (excellent for watering recently planted seeds) to a almighty jet, which is the accommodation suitable for standard removal. Alternatively, you could scrub disconnected the scales with a brush, attached to a agelong instrumentality oregon rod if the pads person thorns. (Note: Although the leafage pads of chaotic prickly pear cactus person thorns, determination is simply a thornless prickly pear, bred by Luther Burbank, arsenic well.) Scales that stay attached aft a hose blast oregon vigorous scrub tin beryllium finished disconnected with a crockery soap solution (1 spoon of crockery soap per gallon of water) applied from a spray bottle. Should scales inactive marque a return, you tin repetition the supra treatments aft 10 days. Be alert that prickly pear cactus exposed to afloat prima is little apt to make scales than erstwhile it is increasing successful immoderate shade.

A fig of years ago, Nick Kurek from Granada Hills sent maine elemental instructions for preparing prickly pear effect (tunas) and pads (nopales) for eating. “The soma of cactus pears,” helium wrote, “is saccharine and flavorful, adjacent if seedy. Needles travel disconnected the effect by rolling them successful the dirt, and past they tin beryllium peeled.”  As for the pads, “cut the young ones only, portion disconnected the spines (if present), dice them and past boil them with onions. Serve either blistery oregon cold.”

Speaking of insect pests, “The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook” (Cold Springs Press, 2021), by Susan Mulvihill, is excellent, much instructive regarding its taxable substance than immoderate I person seen. The photographs unsocial marque it a worthwhile summation to immoderate gardener’s library. Insect pests are shown up adjacent connected the plants they inhabit on with the harm they do. “Mugshots” of beneficial insects are besides included.

Although integrated chemic remedies are thoroughly discussed, the writer recommends them arsenic a past resort, noting that integrated sprays whitethorn termination definite beneficial insects and pollinators on with the pests. Besides, patience unsocial whitethorn sometimes lick an insect problem.

“A fewer years ago, I was walking done my plot and stopped to cheque connected the currant bushes,” Mulvihill writes. “When I saw a batch of puckered leaves, I inwardly groaned. Aphids. I turned implicit immoderate leaves. Yes, tons and tons of them were connected the undersides. I debated astir what to bash but decided I didn’t person the clip astatine the moment. You guessed it. My docket got engaged implicit the adjacent fewer days and I wholly forgot astir those aphids. A fewer days later, I abruptly remembered them and dashed backmost retired to the garden. Instead of witnessing much aphid mayhem, I was pleasantly amazed to observe that astir each of them had vanished. In their spot was a postulation of big ladybugs, their larvae, and adjacent immoderate pupae, which are fundamentally pre-adults.”

One mode to forestall aphids and cabbage loopers (that crook into achromatic butterflies) from bothering your cabbage household plants is done the usage of bridal veil netting, oregon tulle, arsenic opposed to much typically used, yet opaque and somewhat suffocating, enactment cover. “Since these crops payment from bully aerial circulation, I’ve recovered the netting works amended than regular enactment cover. It besides allows maine to much easy spot what’s going connected nether the screen without having to assistance it and adjacent underneath. You tin acquisition tulle by the gait astatine cloth stores oregon by the bolt from online suppliers. Be definite to bargain a precise good mesh with tiny holes due to the fact that aphids are tiny and sneaky.”

Among the practices that the writer recommends to support insect pests astatine bay are harvest rotation, reflective metallic polyethylene mulch (makes it hard for pests to find their people plants), planting flowers that pull beneficial predator insects among your vegetables, and constructing insect hotels. “Once you physique an insect hotel, you’ll soon observe that watching it is some fascinating and inexpensive entertainment.” Incidentally, scales are not mentioned successful this publication due to the fact that they take their hosts (shrubs and trees) for the agelong haul and truthful permission annuals, whether flowers oregon vegetables, alone.

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Several readers responded to my enthusiastic advocacy for planting oleanders – present that oleander leafage scorch illness is nether power – with a caveat regarding the utmost toxicity of these plants. If you are roasting marshmallows, for example, ne'er usage oleander stems arsenic roasting sticks. Grazing animals person died from oleander ingestion truthful it would beryllium advisable to support pets astatine a region from them. Lucky seed (Thevetia peruviana) is an oleander comparative with an adjacent much toxic reputation. It is distinctively ornamental with shiny greenish foliage and silky yellowish flowers.

Tip of the Week: Vinca (Vinca rosea oregon Catharanthus roseus) – successful pink, red, lavender, oregon achromatic — is an oleander relative that is simply a staple of the angiosperm plot contempt its toxicity. Pets that devour it get earnestly sick truthful marque definite to support them astatine a region from it. Having said that, nether the close circumstances, nary works is much rewarding. Although usually grown arsenic an annual, vinca volition unrecorded for respective years wherever ungraded drainage is good, half-day prima prevails, and watering is an afterthought. My neighbour has had a planter afloat of vincas for much than 2 decades. They angiosperm abundantly twelvemonth aft twelvemonth with small effort connected his part. The plants turn to a tallness and width of astir 3 feet and driblet seeds that germinate successful place. Also known arsenic Madagascar periwinkle, this works shares its African land situation with snake works (Sansevieria trifasciata) on with galore different taxon that are legendary for their drought tolerance.

Please nonstop questions, comments, and photos to joshua@perfectplants.com.