Grow your own ladybirds!
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 5:14 pm
Certainly not a pest, but a wonderful predator, I've had the most amazing 'crop' of ladybirds on my allotment this spring.
I'm not the tidiest of gardeners and left a load of last year's bamboo canes lying on part of the lottie over winter & only got around to moving them last weekend when clearing for some new plants. Digging over was really slow as there were ladybirds everywhere- mostly engaged in making more ladybirds, so I had to move them all on before carrying on with tidying. Just where I stood, I counted at least 50. The canes themselves, in the open ends and wherever there were broken parts, were stuffed with yellow ladybird eggs. There were also loads of eggs on a couple of scaffolding planks that I use to weigh things down with, so quite brilliant all around. I don't expect aphids to be a problem this year!
Who needs expensive garden centre pretty things to encourage ladybirds - just leave your old canes out and they will come running!
Happy times,
Vivien
I'm not the tidiest of gardeners and left a load of last year's bamboo canes lying on part of the lottie over winter & only got around to moving them last weekend when clearing for some new plants. Digging over was really slow as there were ladybirds everywhere- mostly engaged in making more ladybirds, so I had to move them all on before carrying on with tidying. Just where I stood, I counted at least 50. The canes themselves, in the open ends and wherever there were broken parts, were stuffed with yellow ladybird eggs. There were also loads of eggs on a couple of scaffolding planks that I use to weigh things down with, so quite brilliant all around. I don't expect aphids to be a problem this year!
Who needs expensive garden centre pretty things to encourage ladybirds - just leave your old canes out and they will come running!
Happy times,
Vivien
