Spittlebugs...what?!?
Oh no, my rosemary has become infested! While I find it unsettling that my garden resident is under attack, I am happy to find out that it is more of a nuisance than a fatal condition. Additionally, it is not my poor rosemary alone...in fact, all the rosemary in the HB Community Garden has fallen victim as noted by the obvious foam that heavily speckles all the shrubs.
"There are around 23,000 species of spittlebugs (Family: Cercopidae), yet few are the gardeners that have ever really seen one. Most probably have seen the protective covering or nest they make"...
"Spittlebugs are very good at hiding too, so not real easy to spot. The protective covering they make looks like someone placed soap suds (or spit) on your plant or bush. In fact, the tell-tale sign of spittlebugs is plant foam and will normally appear in the plant where the leaf attaches to the stem or where two branches meet. The spittlebug nymphs make bubbles out of a liquid they secrete from their back ends (thus not really spittle).
They get their name due to the foamy substance looking like spittle. Once the spittlebug has formed up a nice group of bubbles, they will use their hind legs to cover themselves with the foamy substance. The spittle protects them from predators, temperature extremes and helps keep them from dehydrating."
"Other than looking unsightly, spittlebugs do very little damage to a plant...A quick blast of water from a hose end sprayer will usually knock them off and eliminate spittlebugs from the plant they are on."
..."When looking for an organic spittlebug killer, keep in mind that you are looking for something that will not only kill the spittlebug but will repel further infestation. A garlic or hot-based organic or homemade insecticide for spittlebugs works well in this case.
Organic spittlebug killer recipe
1/2 cup hot peppers, diced
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups water
2 teaspoons liquid soap (without bleach)
Puree peppers, garlic and water together. Let sit for 24 hours. Strain and mix in the liquid soap. Wipe the plant foam off the plant and spray all parts of the plant."t https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/spittlebug-control.html
I hope this blog topic has helped some of you diagnose your own garden pests and how to treat them. Cross your fingers that Rosemary stays pest free. Like and share this post if you are or know any plant lovers.
Healthy happy eating and continued good growing!
#peppers #rosemary #communitygardens #beginninggardeners #gardennerds #organicgardens