Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Sep 09, 2010 9:34 am I have some really lovely ones (3) and one being 40+ years old that my neighbour gave me (he's 86 and getting too old to look after). My question is - every spring/summer bugs love to nibble the new growth. My neighbour advised spraying with some hideous chemical that I'm far too scared to use - especially around kids. Nurseries have advised other hideous chemicals "Dipthowait" Not the correct spelling I know . I'm wanting to use something far more user/nature friendly. Does anyone have any ideas? Re: Does anyone else grow Stag ferns? 2Sep 10, 2010 7:29 am There's a thread here somewhere on spraying caterpillars - Fu suggested a product. Here you go: http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=32487&hilit=caterpillars Or you could make up a garlic/chilli spray - it might do the job. Re: Does anyone else grow Stag ferns? 3Sep 10, 2010 7:52 am Thanks Kek, I will definately try this. I notice Fu doesnt agree with Confidor. Thats what I use on my Azaleas & Camelias for the lace bug. I think I'll try the garlic/chilli on everything. And if that doesnt work I'll try SUCCESS. Any other non chemical ideas would be great as we have an absolute army of bugs in the tropics/sub tropics. Re: Does anyone else grow Stag ferns? 4Sep 12, 2010 12:47 am It's really important to understand that your garden must have balance. remove a bad bug and take out 100 times the number of the good ones. Oh and guess who shows up first to fill the vacuum? It sure isn't the good guys If the plant isn't dead we don't often have to spray at all. Just let them do their thing and the plants recover just fine. Many grubs become the native moths and butterflys that polinate native flowers much further afar than our gardens The grass tree is an excellent example of a flower that is pollinated by moths and small insects . http://www.goodbugs.org.au/ http://www.goodbugs.org.au/Good%20bugs% ... ilabl.html http://www.goodbugs.org.au/Good%20bugs% ... green.html http://www.goodbugs.org.au/Good%20bugs% ... brown.html http://www.goodbugs.org.au/Good%20bugs% ... elbug.html confidor Precautions Withholding periods: 21 days for stone fruit; 7 days for capsicum, potatoes or eggplants and brassicas;3days for tomatoes. Will kill bees – do not spray when bees are active. Avoid contact with eyes and skin – wash hands after use. Mixed spray must be used on the day it is mixed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imidaclopr ... population http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imidacloprid The stuff you first mentioned (Dipthowait) would most closely be either Dipel which is fine as far as things go or an inappropriate and very not cool thing call dimethoate http://www.apvma.gov.au/products/review ... thoate.php A survey must’ve completed by a certified surveyor. This form part of every DA requirement 3 223606 I've just built 3 stairs off a landing out the back and been told by the private certifier I need hand rails sorry tried to attach a pic but couldn't mine don't have sides… 5 5710 i had the my concreters concrete right up to the fence. I have pits all along my path, so the water tends to drain away from the house and into the pits. There's only one… 7 12773 |