August 28th – September 16th
Does your landscape need rock or rock mulch? Looking for quality sod to bring your lawn back to life? For a limited time, take advantage of these special offers:
- Free local delivery on 1-7 tons of rock mulch
- $75 off delivery of other stone products & non-local deliveries.
- 20% off our high quality, Hoerr Nursery-grown sod.
Call Stone Market at 309-689-2513 to order, or visit to browse our beautiful selection of rock and stone!
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Aphids are a familiar foe in gardens, but many gardeners are unaware of just how formidable they can be. Here are some surprising facts about these tiny pests:
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- Aphids transmit more than 100 different viruses. Like plant mosquitoes, aphids spread viruses from plant to plant as they suck on the plant's sap.
- Aphids taste plants looking for hosts, including plants they don't normally feed on. In this way, they spread viruses even to non-host plants.
- Many aphids clone themselves without mating.
- Every aphid produces an average of 80 more aphids.
- It takes an aphid seven or eight days to reach adulthood.
- Aphids are capable of growing wings and flying to new plants whenever they get too crowded.
- "Flocks" of aphids are protected from would-be predators by ant "shepherds," who collect the sticky honeydew that the aphids produce.
- Aphid honeydew gets moldy, turning the surface of the plant sticky and black, infecting the plant's leaves, and blocking the plant's ability to photosynthesize. This is called "sooty mold."
On the whole, aphids are bad news for plants.
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The bright orange aphids that infest milkweed are unfortunately common this time of year, often transmitting diseases that kill their hosts. On top of that, these aphids clone themselves!
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If you're fighting aphids on milkweed, keep an eye out for populations building up on wild honeyvine milkweed, (pictured left,) and remove those too.
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Like Bruno in Disney's Encanto, we don't talk about Honeyvine Milkweed. At least, not usually. It's rarely mentioned in materials about monarchs because although they occasionally lay eggs on it, Honeyvine Milkweed is one of the monarch's least favorite foods...but one of the aphid's most favorite ones. It's also an agressive vine and a prolific self-seeder.
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Aphid Eviction:
Taking Back Your Plants
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Aphids are resistant to many types of insecticide. The good news is, you don't need any to get rid of them!
- Squish individual aphids as soon as you see them. (Remember, every aphid makes an average of 80 more aphids!)
- Spray heavily infested plants with a strong jet of water to dislodge the aphids.
- You can also prune away and dispose of heavily infected plant parts.
- Finches are your friends! So are warblers, sparrows, downy woodpeckers, and chickadees - all of them are aphid-eaters. Attract them with bird feeders placed near aphid-prone plants.
- Ladybugs, hoverflies, parasitic wasps, spiders, and lacewings all attack aphids as well. Encourage healthy insect biodiversity in your garden by avoiding the use of insecticides wherever possible. If you need help with healthy pest management, get in touch!
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Remember, it's essential to act quickly when you spot aphids, as they rapidly multiply and spread to other plants. By following the tips outlined in this article, you can say goodbye to aphids and hello to healthy and vibrant plants.
Happy gardening!
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On sale now
while supplies last!
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Big-leaf Hydrangea - 33% off
(Hydrangea macrophylla)
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