With copper-colored wings and an emerald head, the Japanese beetle is pretty, but devastating.
21.07.2023 - 22:40 / awaytogarden.com
IDON’T USE CHEMICALS, but that doesn’t mean I don’t fight unwanted garden pests. At the moment the primary skirmish is with the lily leaf beetle, Licioceris lilii, who happens to be my favorite color–a sort of Asian lacquer red–but otherwise much-loathed here. And so these days, I am out hunting, on a search-and-destroy mission for the small but voracious pests who also like Fritillaria and Polygonatum (Solomon’s seal) and a number of other garden plants not captured in their common name. Ready for a fight? Onward, organic gardeners, onward…and don’t forget to get the beetle eggs, too. Here’s how:Much in the same way I deal with everything from tomato hornworms to adult Japanese beetles to Viburnum leaf beetle and tent caterpillars and even the occasional slug in a wet year, my approach to lily beetles is manual–as in pick and squish, or drown.
You have to get the adults, and also the eggs, which start out tan and then go from orange to red when they are close to hatching. They can be found wherever there are copulating adults (which is anywhere that adult beetles are, it seems from their flagrant behavior), on the undersides of leaves in uneven lines like a bit of a tiny zig-zag. Squish!Since the beetles overwinter in the soil, the minute lily or fritillaria foliage emerges, there are hungry beetles to damage it, too–meaning if they’re in your area, you probably are already seeing holes. Even if you didn’t get started right away, begin hand-picking beetles and eggs now to minimize the exploding population; remember, these are sexy beasts, so keep removing adults and eggs or else.
You see, I’ve left the worst for last: the part about what comes between the egg and the beetle. The larval stage of this pest is extremely
With copper-colored wings and an emerald head, the Japanese beetle is pretty, but devastating.
My name is Diane Porter, and I live in Nova Scotia, Canada. We are a Zone 5 area here, so I like pretty hardy plants. Daylilies (Hemerocallis, Zones 4–9 for most cultivars) fit my garden perfectly. I have always enjoyed gardening and actually worked at a local garden center for a few seasons. The gardening bug hit hard!
My ‘Samurai garden’ is a small homage to a full blown Japanese garden. I was attracted to Japanese gardens when I attended a talk at our local garden society. (They are often good events to pick up tips or special plants. I belong to a couple but only attend if there is something of interest.) After starting on my project I was surprised how many Japanese gardens there were to visit or spot when walking around.
Have you noticed the persistent brown leaves still hanging on some deciduous trees long after their foliar companions have fallen? This usually becomes very apparent after normal leaf drop in early winter. These brown leaves may remain attached until spring bud growth pushes them free.
Toad lilies (Tricyrtis hirta) bloom from September to October and have small, lily-like white to pale lilac flowers with heavy purple to maroon spots. They prefer evenly moist, well-drained, organically rich soils and grow best in part shade to shade. Toad lilies reach heights of 2 to 2½ feet tall by 1½ to 2 feet wide and have few disease and insect issues. However, do watch for slug damage, as this may be a problem. These natives from Japan are great additions to South Carolina woodland or naturalized gardens.
A lot of attention recently has been on periodical cicadas, which are coming out of the ground after 17 years across parts of the Southeast and much of the Mid-Atlantic region. However, another insect is about to come out of the ground in South Carolina too, and this one is not just a novelty – it can completely defoliate many plants in your yard. That’s right, folks, it’s almost Japanese beetle season!
One of my favorite childhood memories was watching the first spider lily (Lycoris radiata) bloom spikes magically appear in late August or early September in my parents’ garden. It was a sure sign that fall was on the way. Bulbs collected from my parents’ garden and ruins of my great-grandmother’s garden have been planted in my landscape. My grandchildren now get to experience the same joy in spotting the first blooms.
The eastern Hercules beetle is one of the largest and heaviest insects in the U.S. In South Carolina, there is only one Hercules beetle species, Dynastes tityus. These insects are a type of beetle in the family Scarabaeidae – the same family as June beetles, Japanese beetles, and dung beetles.
Want to add a bit of tropical pizazz to your late summer or early fall perennial border? Then ginger lilies (Hedychium species) are your answer. They are not true lilies but distant cousins of edible gingerroot and originate in Asia. Hedychiums are a sign of good fortune and health and are the national flower of Cuba. In Hawaii, they are often used in leis and are widely grown as a cut flower.
I remember the first time I saw a calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica). I was watching an old Katherine Hepburn movie, “Stage Door.” She swept into the room with an armload of calla lilies and, in her breathless voice, exclaimed, “The calla lilies are in bloom.” Ever since then, the classic beauty of calla lilies has fascinated me. The genus, Zantedeschia, was named in honor of the Italian botanist Giovanni Zantedeschi. The common name, calla, is derived from the Greek word for beautiful.
Are you looking for a low-growing evergreen plant to use around trees and in the shade? Are you frustrated with voles, deer, and rabbits eating your hostas? Then look no further! Nippon Lily (Rhodea japonica) will grow in partial to heavy shade and reaches a height and width of 2 feet. It’s a broadleaf perennial with leathery, glossy dark green, strap-like leaves.
This Napa cabbage is being fed on by larvae of both the yellow margined leaf beetle (YMLB, Microtheca ochroloma) and vegetable weevil (Listroderes difficilis). YMLB can be a significant pest for organic production, especially turnips and Napa cabbage, which they prefer.