Date: Wed, 10 Dec 97 21:49 EST From: dave evans <T442119@RUTADMIN.RUTGERS.EDU> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg4696$foo@default> Subject: Re: Ack! aphids.
> I just noticed a fine crop of aphids on one of my windowsill VFTs. Right now
> my biggest fear is that they'll spread to some more expensive CP or orchids, so
> I have sealed the plant in a plastic bag. Since I can't take the plant
> outside to use nasty pesticides at this time of the year (7 inches of snow
> today), I am limited to sunspray oil, horticultural soap (Safer brand), or
> pyrethrin. Which of the above are least likely to do serious bodily harm to a
> flytrap? Ideally, I'd like something that doesn't harm the pretty liverwort
> growing at the base of the plant.
Hi Nick,
I'd just use some dishwashing liquid. It's much cheaper than
Safer's unless you get the concentrate. Squirt enough to do a load
of dishes into the bootm of a spray bottle, add enough water to fill
about three or four inches of the bottle's bottom. I've found that
a really great way to avoid soaking the soil with soap is to hold
the the pot at great than a 90~ angle when applying the soap. Of course,
some with get on the soil, but with bugs it's not a bad idea to cover
every bit of surface with poison (help's stop re-occurances) and most
will flow out over the egde taking the dead bugs along with the flow.
Then, in a minute or two, do the same thing but with distilled water.
Oh, about the liverwort! You can transplant it with soil around the
rootball for protection and put it right back in with the VFT after
it's come back from the cleaners.
Dave Evans
P.S. I don't grow liverworts on purpose, but I can't kill them
with neglect either.
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