oops!

Yes! They are apricot blossoms!

Camelia “Red Red Rose”

bluegreen said:

oops!

Yes! They are apricot blossoms!

Camelia “Red Red Rose”

I have a camelia almost the same as yours but mine is called “Black Tie.”

baby apricots

Daisy bush

Elderflowers

Geranium

White Lavender

Euphorbia

Epi flower. I had some red ones open too but missed getting a photo. The plants are looking a bit sorry at the moment as they have been somewhat neglected.

something special happened today while I was watering the veges. A male Superb Fairy Wren came down and had a bath in the water drops on the broccoli leaves while I was standing only a couple of metres away. I had noticed that although cabbage butterfly eggs had been laid on it, and there were a few holes, there were no caterpillars or droppings to be seen. I thought it might have been birds eating them and now I think it might be this little fellow.

Spot the wren :)

bluegreen said:

something special happened today while I was watering the veges. A male Superb Fairy Wren came down and had a bath in the water drops on the broccoli leaves while I was standing only a couple of metres away. I had noticed that although cabbage butterfly eggs had been laid on it, and there were a few holes, there were no caterpillars or droppings to be seen. I thought it might have been birds eating them and now I think it might be this little fellow.

Spot the wren :)

Next to the stalk :) I would love to see one here that close!

bluegreen said:

Epi flower. I had some red ones open too but missed getting a photo. The plants are looking a bit sorry at the moment as they have been somewhat neglected.

Beautiful! First yellow one I’ve seen.

my first cherry crop. Looking forward to harvest! lol! You might notice some rather distorted leaves in the photo. It has a rather serious infestation of black aphids. I am being good and leaving them be as advised by Sophie Thompson so that the ladybirds and predatory wasps can do their thing, but so far the aphids are winning I think.

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

something special happened today while I was watering the veges. A male Superb Fairy Wren came down and had a bath in the water drops on the broccoli leaves while I was standing only a couple of metres away. I had noticed that although cabbage butterfly eggs had been laid on it, and there were a few holes, there were no caterpillars or droppings to be seen. I thought it might have been birds eating them and now I think it might be this little fellow.

Spot the wren :)

Next to the stalk :) I would love to see one here that close!

I’ve got a family of variegated wrens that zoom around the yard cleaning up. One almost landed on my knee and changed his mind a nanosecond before landing.

bluegreen said:

my first cherry crop. Looking forward to harvest! lol! You might notice some rather distorted leaves in the photo. It has a rather serious infestation of black aphids. I am being good and leaving them be as advised by Sophie Thompson so that the ladybirds and predatory wasps can do their thing, but so far the aphids are winning I think.

Oh lol!
That poor little tree.. I think I’d give it a bit of a helping hand though, the thumb and forefinger squish..

roughbarked said:

I’ve got a family of variegated wrens that zoom around the yard cleaning up. One almost landed on my knee and changed his mind a nanosecond before landing.

I was just so amazed that he came down while I was there. I love it that they feel safe enough. And he was so cute having his little bath on the broccoli leaf :D

Happy Potter said:

Oh lol!
That poor little tree.. I think I’d give it a bit of a helping hand though, the thumb and forefinger squish..

It is also looking a bit bare because Peter Pan eats any leaves withing reach. It has a fence around it now but not all my fruit trees do.

bluegreen said:

my first cherry crop. Looking forward to harvest! lol! You might notice some rather distorted leaves in the photo. It has a rather serious infestation of black aphids. I am being good and leaving them be as advised by Sophie Thompson so that the ladybirds and predatory wasps can do their thing, but so far the aphids are winning I think.

You have to stop the ants. It was easy when you could buy Dieldrin.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

my first cherry crop. Looking forward to harvest! lol! You might notice some rather distorted leaves in the photo. It has a rather serious infestation of black aphids. I am being good and leaving them be as advised by Sophie Thompson so that the ladybirds and predatory wasps can do their thing, but so far the aphids are winning I think.

You have to stop the ants. It was easy when you could buy Dieldrin.

No, now you can buy ladybugs :D

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

my first cherry crop. Looking forward to harvest! lol! You might notice some rather distorted leaves in the photo. It has a rather serious infestation of black aphids. I am being good and leaving them be as advised by Sophie Thompson so that the ladybirds and predatory wasps can do their thing, but so far the aphids are winning I think.

You have to stop the ants. It was easy when you could buy Dieldrin.

No, now you can buy ladybugs :D

In my yard the ladyBIRDS come free of charge.. but if the ants aren’t killed, the tree will die.

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

You have to stop the ants. It was easy when you could buy Dieldrin.

No, now you can buy ladybugs :D

In my yard the ladyBIRDS come free of charge.. but if the ants aren’t killed, the tree will die.

by killed, I do mean stop them from harming the tree by farming the scale and aphids.

You can have all the ladybirds and the ants will keep farming the ants. What people never fail to forget is that to have lots of ladybirds, one must need a lot more aphids and scale.

roughbarked said:

You have to stop the ants. It was easy when you could buy Dieldrin.

yes. I am thinking some horticultural glue around the trunk?

Happy Potter said:

No, now you can buy ladybugs :D

I have transferred a couple from the vege garden to it, but not sure if they hung around, lol!

I know where the ant nest is so might try some ant sand. It is on the side of the driveway, away from chooks, ducks and lambs.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

You have to stop the ants. It was easy when you could buy Dieldrin.

yes. I am thinking some horticultural glue around the trunk?

I’d be cautious, it has to be something that affects the ants but not the tree. I’ve tried various things from grease(fail) to surface spray(fail).. by fail I mean that the tree still died and I’m talking about much healthier trees than this one.

The first lesson is that nothing that can be bought off the shelf at Bunnings is effective against ants more than temporarily.

If you call a pest exterminator, ask him to identify the insect before he unpacks tools.. If he cannot do that then don’t let him unpack equipment.

First step: identify the problem source.. ie: ants. Which ant?
Second step: either ask the Dept of Ag or the CSIRO if you cannot do the above.. ask them also which bait to use for the particular ant.
Third step: apply bait around the base of the trunk.. on the soil surface, not on the bark.

Fourth step: try to kill as many aphids and scale without causing mass slaughter of ladybird larva or eggs. I suggest high pressure water jet. As milk or white oil may damage the leaves in the sun. As too will rubbing the leaves between fingers since in their current state of distress they are curled and brittle. You need to give the tree a reprieve long enough to put on healthy new leaves.

bluegreen said:

I know where the ant nest is so might try some ant sand. It is on the side of the driveway, away from chooks, ducks and lambs.

Ant sand only kills a few ants.. acts as a barrier but a bloody expensive one to keep applying. It will not kill the queen which is the desired outcome with pest ants too close for comfort.

bluegreen said:

Epi flower. I had some red ones open too but missed getting a photo. The plants are looking a bit sorry at the moment as they have been somewhat neglected.

That’s nice.

bluegreen said:

my first cherry crop. Looking forward to harvest! lol! You might notice some rather distorted leaves in the photo. It has a rather serious infestation of black aphids. I am being good and leaving them be as advised by Sophie Thompson so that the ladybirds and predatory wasps can do their thing, but so far the aphids are winning I think.

LOL.