Ants have been extremely plentiful again this year. Did you have a glass encased “ant farm” when you were a kid? Did you know that ants also “farm”? They do! Even in our climate you can find this symbiotic relationship going on between ants and aphids. The ants protect the aphids from other insect predators like ladybugs. In exchange, the ants eat the “honeydew” produced by the aphids — a nice name for aphid poop.
Aphids will typically be found in the topmost growth as they prefer the softer, new plant tissue. When you notice them, destroy! They will multiply quickly in hot weather and can disfigure your plants. Around here, I have mostly noticed them on zinnias and the tops of pea vines, but you can find them on a variety of plants.
The aphids’ color can range from green to gray to black to a reddish color. Aphids are typically wingless insects. When they become overpopulated on a particular plant, they have the ability to develop wings and fly away — wouldn’t we love to have that feature?
Aphids are so small you may not really notice them if it not for the curly twirly disfigured foliage they create. There are a few controls for aphids, one of which is soapy water. Eggs are often laid on the undersides of leaves, so spray everywhere. The soap dissolves the protective outer coating on the soft-bodied aphid and eventually kills them.
When I find large masses of aphids, I simply don a disposable glove and gently smash them after first tapping the plant to see if ants are on guard. If you have ant farmers, as soon as you disturb the plant, they will scurry around preparing to defend! A few more hard taps and they flee — I don’t want them biting as I destroy their crop of aphids. Such a process, but once you discover some of these little tricks in your garden, keeping control is easier.
Ants are also plentiful on the peony plants. I have often heard from gardeners that they avoid growing peony because they don’t want to attract the ants. Believe me, the ants are already there — they are just more obvious because they are 3 feet higher on your plants and more noticeable. Ants feed on the waxy coating that surrounds the peony bud. They do not cause any harm, and their feeding is not necessary for the buds to open.
When you cut peonies to bring indoors, you should be picking the ones that aren’t open (and full of ants), but select buds that are in the stale marshmallow stage. Give the bud a gentle squeeze and when it feels like a big marshmallow left on the kitchen counter overnight, it is perfect for cutting, and will open in the vase. Before I cut a bud stem, I tap the stem part with the pruners, and usually any ants will fall or jump off.
One of the weirdest insects we have in our region is the “spittle bug.” This insect, when in the nymph stage of life, hides under a mass of froth it creates as it sucks the life out of your plants. It literally looks like someone spit on your plant. The froth is usually found in a leaf crotch on a plant stem. The insect is lime green and has big, dark “buggy” eyes for its size. It is a soft-bodied insect like the aphids — favorites of ladybugs!
At my live garden class this past Sunday, we dug a “Butter & Sugar” Siberian iris and divided it. Then we took an hour stroll through the garden, discussing a number of issues with perennial plants. When to cut back plants always seems to be a question. Normally for all plants, a hard cut would be done after hard frost. But there are some exceptions, of course! I often start a week or two before due to the volume of plants I have. By then, the plants have already accumulated their energy for the year and no harm is done. Some plants, like the Johnson geraniums, will benefit from a haircut of 50% in early summer after blooming and will re-flush with flowers.
Plants can be dead-headed anytime the bloom is faded. For many, this improves the look, and also, the plant doesn’t spend needless energy developing seed and seed heads. Some peony seed heads are attractive throughout the season and some are not so pretty. For me it is a “do I have the time for that” issue.
Most importantly at the class, I was able to introduce people to the shuffle hoe — the world’s best weeding tool! Open house and plant sale is scheduled again Sunday, June 7th from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Live garden class is at 1 p.m. More info is at my Facebook Page: Lakeside Gardens & more.
The Mankato Farmers’ Market is open for the season at Best Buy on Adams Street, Saturdays 8 a.m.–noon, Tuesdays and Thursdays 3–5:30 p.m.
Diane Dunham is a retired horticulture instructor and is the owner of Market Bakery.
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