Summary
1 Powdery mildew and other fungal diseases are much easier to prevent than to control after they start. Sprays keep fungi from spreading to new growth. For roses, a very effective and safe spray is skim milk. Mix one part skim milk with nine parts of water (e.g., one cup skim milk and nine cups water), and thoroughly spray both upper and lower sides of rose leaves, as well as flower buds. Other typical spring fungus diseases in Southern California are powdery mildew, rose rust, and blackspot on roses, and botrytis or brown rot on fruit trees needs to be prevented with springtime sprays. Effective spray materials have triforine or chlorothalonil as the active ingredient. Since plants keep growing, spray every ten days to two weeks to protect the new growth.
2 Aphids love weather like this, and they multiply quickly, sapping the strength from a wide array of plants and producing sticky honeydew. Aphids are easily controlled with an abundance of ladybugs, or by periodic applications of insecticidal soap or malathion. However, ants like the honeydew, so you may also need to put out ant baits to stop them from bringing in more. Believe it or not, ants tend and nurture aphids, gently "milking" them for their sweet honeydew secretions.See the full content of this document
Extract
5 Things to Do in Your Garden
3 Camellias perform best with a springtime feeding, using a slower acting, balanced...
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