Content
- Is the snowball shrub prone to pests?
- How do I protect my snowball shrub from pests?
- Preventive measures against pests:
- What can I do if the pests are already there?
- Tips
A well-groomed, healthy snowball is rarely attacked by pests
Is the snowball shrub prone to pests?
Compared with diseases and pests, the snowball is relatively robust. Only aphids occasionally bother him. Above all, the black aphid uses the winter hardy snowball as a winter host, in summer she retires back to the peasant jasmine.
For this reason, you should not plant these two shrubs in the immediate vicinity with each other. The shorter the path of the aphid from winter to summer host and back, the more pests will survive the journey.
How do I protect my snowball shrub from pests?
As so often, prevention is the best protection. If you maintain your snowball well, then you will hardly suffer from pests or diseases. Above all, make sure you water it sufficiently and do not fertilize too much. Because over-fertilization or too long dry phases, it is easier to a pest infestation.
Aphids do not like it especially when you treat your snowball as a precaution with a stock of field horsetail. Hang upside down flower pots on clay filled with straw or wood wool. They serve as a shelter for beneficial insects, who like to eat aphids, such as ear-piners. Ladybug or lacewing will help you to destroy aphids.
Mixed cultures are less frequently attacked by pests, and species-specific pests can not easily spread there. Lavender, savory and other plants, for example, keep aphids away with their essential oils. Glue rings help against leaf beetles, which you can attach to the bush below.
Preventive measures against pests:
What can I do if the pests are already there?
First you spray your snowball off with a powerful stream of water, which removes a large part of the small animals in a purely mechanical way. You can also use soft soap or nettle broth if water alone does not help enough.
Tips
Before you resort to chemical pesticides, try out the various home remedies such as soft soap or beneficials. With a little patience and perseverance you will get a positive result without burdening the environment.