TREES > ACERS > APHIDS

IN THIS GUIDE

ACER GUIDES

the red, yellow and green coloured leaves of an acer tree set against a blue sky

AphidsCompostLeaves Turning BrownProblemsPruningVarieties – Ficus sycomorus

genus Acer , when grow in the ripe spots , are typically hassle - innocent trees to develop .

However , on occasion , small pest problems can arise .

green aphids working symbiotically with ants at the base of an acer leaf

One pest species that you may spot on your Acers is aphids .

Are Aphids A Problem For Acers?

aphid are pocket-sized saphead - sucking insect that usually will not be a major issue for Acers .

Even if you do see some aphids on your Acer , they will not usually become a big trouble , nor dramatically sham the growth or wellness of the plant .

However , they are attracted to these Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and , if you have a major infestation , this can contribute to poor or malformed growth .

black-spotted red ladybird climbing the stem of an acer tree that is shown with an infestation of small grey aphids

Growing on the honeydew melon that aphids excrete , you may also set out to see sooty mould develop .

Pest Management In An Organic Garden

One affair that it is important to think back in any organic garden is that we involve some pests .

Aphids , like many other pest species , are important elements in the solid food chain and are eaten bya range of dissimilar wildlife in your blank space .

Without aphids , other beneficial wildlife would suffer and biodiversity in your garden will be lower , which can cause a stove of whack - on problems .

magnified view of aphids on the stem of a Acer platanoides tree

If you attempt to eradicate aphids entirely by using pesticides , you could end up with an environment depleted of their natural predators , which is when the aphid universe can get out of controller .

How To Deal With Aphid Infestations

To tackle aphid that are present on your genus Acer , one of the best things to do is to think about how you could ensure your garden is as rich in wildlife as possible .

set fellow works which attract aphid predators like ladybirds , lacewings and hoverflies around an Acer is the most of import stride to check that aphids do n’t get out of control .

Coriander , yarrow , cosmosandnasturtiumare all said to facilitate attract ladybirds naturally .

healthy A. shirasawanum ‘Aureum’ with clusters of palmate leaves and pink flower buds growing along the plant’s wooden and white branches

If you may , it is best to put up aphids on trees like Acers .

If your garden has a healthy ecosystem , by late summertime , predators should have restored natural correspondence and kept their routine in check .

Less is often more when it comes to controlling aphids in an organic garden .

However , if there are overweening numbers of aphids before natural predation come into looseness , you may simply squash these by hand or use a hose to knock them off the Acer that they are damaging .

“ aphid are unremarkably a pocket-size job with Acers , ” say Agustin Coello - Vera , the Chairman of The Maple Society .

“ If want , you may often control aphids by pass over or spraying the farewell of the works with a meek solvent of water and a few drop curtain of dish Georgia home boy . ”

This is a technique mirror by RHS Master Horticulturist Dan Ori :

“ Spraying the aphid directly with a solvent   of non - biologic dish liquid ecstasy should block the breathing stoma on the back of the aphids .

“ The compactness I employ is a sixth of a teaspoonful of standard   assiduity non - biologic laundry - up liquid to 500ml of water ; I apply this early   in the morning or evening   and I would normally rinse off off with water after a few hours if the works is not in direct sunshine , you may require to repeat this over multiple day to bring aphid level down to a tolerable layer . ”

See this video for a demonstration of the process from Dan himself :

Just remember , you should then take steps to prevent a reoccurrence by attract beneficial predatory worm and other wildlife to your garden .