Question
desert rose
Hi,
Your advice please. Thank you v. much for your patience at my never ending string of questions and invaluable gardening tips and advice:)
AnswerDear Alfredo, The tiny brown lesions on the base of this blossom do seem to indicate that it has been attacked by some type of insect. Typically, this could be some bug that just dropped in for a quick snack. The abundance of beautiful foliage could certainly attract passing insects. Stinkbugs are very good at this, can fly to pretty high altitudes and grab a snack before moving on. Unfortunately, this can be a common occurrence because it has happened with the probable thrip attack. I have actually been giving this problem you have considerable thought and I think I may have a solution that may protect all your plants. See if you can find a product containing orange oil that is recommended for plant use. This stuff is pretty amazing and has shown effectiveness even against cockroaches and fire ants, two extremely hard-to-eradicate pests. Be sure to check which plants can be sprayed, avoid any ferns (they don't like to be sprayed), and spray the orange oil on and around your plants. This strong smell will ward off passing insects, and it also smells wonderful. Now as far as your desert rose is concerned, the bloom was probably sucked on a week or two ago and the bug is long gone. The other flowers don't appear to be affected, and I've got to say, that is one gorgeous desert rose. Good luck, and I wouldn't worry about the small amount of damage. Once you use some orange oil perhaps these occasional bug problems will be a thing of the past. Let me know how it works. Melissa
