Afternoon steemers,
Here in Brisbane, Australia we have a little grasshopper problem so I thought I would share how I deal with them in an "organic" fashion (I actually hate that term as it is so often misused, but most people will get what i mean.)
Obvious chewing damage to Gynura aurantiaca (Purple Passion) caused by various types of Grasshoppers.
The first step I take in trying to manage theses "pests" falls into the Physical/ Mechanical control category and is as simple as can be, PICK THEM OFF THE PLANT! At this point a lot of gardeners would squash or drown them but I like to just throw them to the other side of the garden and hope a bird sees them :-) Without the actual killing of the grasshopper odds are it will be back but it certainly slows them down enough for me to manage the damage caused to the plants.
One of the various grasshoppers in question and the damage it has caused to G. aurantiaca
The second step I take to control these little buggers is a Molasses spray: I dilute 50ml's in a 500ml spray bottle and coat the foliage heavily. Not only does this dramatically slow down the grasshoppers and other chewing pests it is extremely good for your plants with a NPK of 1-0-5 (This varies a lot but is an estimated average.)
Apparently the Molasses makes the leaves taste a little too sweet for the chewing pests and they move along. It will not completely stop the damage.
The same plant in much better condition after control methods mentioned.
If you are not willing to allow any damage to your plants you will have to go for the Chemical control option but it can lead to other wildlife being harmed by digesting the poisoned pest eg, bird eats infected grasshopper.
ECO or HORTICULTURAL oils should be used before selecting anything in the Schedule 5 or higher category.
I hope someone has found this useful :-)
Happy gardening,
Sam.
That is an interesting tip. Would it work against slugs and snails? I'm having major problems with those eating my succulents. They are especially problematic when they go munching on the growth tips of the plants
I am not sure to be honest but it's worth a try!
Egg shells used as a mulch around your plants will stop snails and slugs.... they hate crossing anything sharp. Thankfully they are not a huge problem where I live :-)
I've heard that about eggshells although I see these little fuckers slime trails on the sides of the cacti, right over the thorns! I'll do a trial in one pot that is a particular favourite
I have heard snail slime on a wounded cacti can cause some interesting mutations :-)
Let me know if it works.
Thanks for your useful post.
Thanks for your thanks :-)
Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.
I try to do that, thanks for reading!
Just a heads up, @smileplease is a comment spammer account you are responding to. It has used the exact same comment on other posts.
Thanks for the heads up @bluehorseshoe, I appreciate it!
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