Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 190 5/24/17 12:19 PM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 191 5/24/17 12:19 PM

190 chapter 4

Spider Mites (several species)

North American geographical range: All

Identification: You’ll need a microscope to see

these tiny relatives of spiders and ticks. Spider

mites have eight legs and are a mere^1 ⁄ 20 in. long.

They live in large colonies, collectively spinning

fine webbing for shelter. Most gardeners notice the

webbing before they spot the mites themselves.

For a positive ID, shake the plant over a piece

of white paper and look for tiny specks moving

around on it.

Plants affected: The most common species of

spider mite, the two-spotted spider mite, feeds on

over 180 different plant species. Host plants include

azalea, dwarf Alberta spruce, grapes, melons, phlox,

and strawberries, among many others. Feeding habits and damage: Spider mite

damage appears as mottled, yellow foliage. Leaf

undersides and stems are often covered in fine

webbing. Mites can be carried from plant to plant

on the wind, so they move around the landscape

quite easily.

Physical controls: Beneficial predatory insects,

like big-eyed bugs, damsel bugs, ladybugs,

predatory mites, and minute pirate bugs, make a

huge dent in spider mite populations. Encourage

them by adding lots of flowering herbs and other

tiny flowers to your container garden.

Product controls: Some chemical pesticides

stimulate mite reproduction. Because these

products also kill the beneficial insects that

naturally keep mite numbers in check, refrain

from spraying whenever possible. If absolutely

necessary, effective product controls include

horticultural oil and insecticidal soap.

Spider mites are extremely tiny, but the tell-tale

webbing they leave behind is hard to miss. They cause

leaf stippling and distorted growth.

Spider mite populations are naturally kept in check by

many species of beneficials, including larger predatory

mites, ladybugs, and minute pirate bugs.

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Troubleshooting 191

Tobacco Budworms/Geranium

Budworms (Heliothis virescens)

North American geographical range: Eastern and

southeastern United States., up into Southern

Canada. They may also be present in certain

western states.

Identification: Adult tobacco/geranium budworms

are nocturnal moths. They’re light brown with

three dark brown bands across the wings. Adults

cause no harm to plants, but their larvae devour

flower buds and plant foliage. Caterpillars

measure up to an inch in length, and can be

yellow, green, brown, and even pink or maroon,

depending on their life stage and food source.

Plants affected: Tobacco/geranium budworms

commonly feed on the flower buds of nicotiana

(flowering tobacco), zinnias, petunias, geraniums,

ageratum, chrysanthemums, marigolds,

snapdragons, verbena, portulaca, and others.

They may also feed on certain vegetable crops,

including tomatoes, collards, and okra.

Feeding habits and damage: Tobacco/geranium

budworms don’t typically survive cold winters,

but their range is expanding northward as the

climate changes. Damage is first noted as holes

in flower petals or flower buds that fail to open or

go missing. Budworms can quickly chomp all the

flower buds off a plant or leave the flowers ragged

and torn. If no flower buds are available, they’ll

also eat foliage. Northern gardeners typically see

budworms late in the season, while southern

gardeners may see them year-round.

Physical controls: Budworm caterpillars are

most active at dusk. Head out to the garden and

handpick any you find.

Product controls: Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) products

work great. Spinosad is another option.

Geranium or tobacco budworms can be yellow, green, brown, or even pink or maroon, depending on their food

source and age. Despite how cute this little caterpillar is, it will readily devour flower buds and plant foliage.

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