This is the start of the various garden pests we have here in Spain. Now that the deadly processionary caterpillars are gone for another year, this is no time to relax otherwise you will be overwhelmed.
April 3: Things I have been doing today.
🌻 Spray Oleander Scale: If you look closely at the leaves of your Oleander you will see small orange or white dots that often run along the inner seam of the leaf. You will probably need your glasses on to see this properly. This is the Oleander Scale beetle; a tiny beetle that breeds profusely and will suck all the sap out of your plant, and in the worst cases will kill it. (See photo below). You need to spray this with a proprietary brand pest killer. Because the beetle is covered with a waxy coating it can be impervious to spray; but do it weekly till it all turns black; then keep an eye on it.
🌻 Spray Greenfly: This is getting a bit depressing! But just like Scale, Greenfly are very active at the moment. Tell tale signs are small flys flying around plants when you move them, leaves covered in a sticky coating and a sooty residue. If you see this – then get your glasses on again – and you will see small green eggs and young attached to the leaves of your plant. (See photo below). Greenfly are not fussy so it is not just roses they will go for; orange, lemon, pomegranate can all suffer from attacks. For best results spray in the evening or first thing in the morning when all the adults will be on the plant.
🌻 Flag Iris: Just to cheer you up after all that depressing stuff; here is a picture of my flag irises. More about them later in the month.
Spanish Garden 
You must be logged in to post a comment.