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Morning glories are beautiful, fragrant flowers that wake up with the sun and add vibrant color to your garden. Morning glories are hardy plants and are normally healthy, but sometimes insects on morning glory vines harm the health of the plant. Yellow, wilting leaves are telltale signs that your plant has an insect problem.
With their bright cheery blooms and ability to thrive in coastal environments, beach morning glories are a staple in seaside gardens. However these plants can fall prey to thrips – tiny insects that pierce leaves and flowers to feed on sap. Left uncontrolled, thrips can seriously damage beach morning glories. If you spot signs of a thrips infestation, taking prompt action is key to protecting your plants.
Identifying Thrips
Closely inspect plants to confirm thrips are present before treating Look for
- Bronzed, silvery speckling or streaks on leaves and flowers
- Distorted or curled foliage
- Black dots of fecal matter on leaves
- Stunted growth
Thrips are slender, winged insects under 1⁄4 inch long. They can be yellow, brown, or black. Use a magnifying glass to spot them on the undersides of leaves. Identifying thrips early allows quicker control.
Pruning Out Infestations
Prune off badly infested parts of plants. This immediately removes thrips concentrated in that area. Cut off flowers leaves, and stems showing significant damage. Discard pruned material in sealed bags. Sterilize pruners between each cut with isopropyl alcohol to avoid spreading thrips.
Hosing Down Plants
Powerful jets of water can dislodge thrips from foliage. Adjust nozzle to a forceful spray and thoroughly hose off plants, including undersides of leaves and crevices. Repeat daily to interrupt thrips feeding and life cycle. Avoid excessive pressure that damages plant tissues.
Applying Insecticidal Soap
Insecticidal soaps kill thrips on contact through disruption of cell membranes. Mix according to label directions and coat all surfaces of leaves, stems, and flowers. For best results, spray in mornings or evenings when temperatures are coolest. Repeat applications every 5-7 days until thrips are gone. Insecticidal soap won’t harm most beneficial insects.
Releasing Predatory Insects
Ladybugs, lacewings, minute pirate bugs, and other beneficial insects prey on thrips. Releasing them into your garden encourages natural thrips control. Buy live predators from garden centers or online. Follow release instructions to ensure they establish and hunt thrips effectively. Combining beneficial insects with other controls is most effective.
Applying Neem Oil
Extracted from neem trees, neem oil smothers juvenile thrips and disrupts molting. Mix neem oil concentrate with water according to label specifications. Thoroughly spray all plant surfaces, including new growth. For severe infestations, apply weekly for 3-4 weeks. Neem oil also repels feeding adults, but won’t kill them.
Setting Up Sticky Traps
Yellow and blue sticky traps lure adult thrips in for capture. Position traps near plants, just above the foliage. Replace traps weekly until thrips activity diminishes. Avoid placing traps directly on plants where they can entrap beneficials. Sticky traps are especially helpful for monitoring thrips populations.
Applying Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is composed of fossilized algae that dehydrates and kills insects. Dust a thin layer of food-grade DE on leaves and soil around plants. Reapply after rain or watering. Wear a mask when handling to avoid inhaling dust. Monitor for decreased thrips activity within 1-2 weeks. DE is non-toxic to humans and pets.
Improving Soil Health
Thrips thrive in nutrient-deficient plants. Boost soil health with compost, organic fertilizer, and mulch to strengthen plants. Test soil to identify any deficiencies and amend accordingly. Healthier plants are more resilient against thrips damage.
Removing Weeds
Weeds surrounding plants can harbor thrips. Eliminate weeds either by handpicking or using an organic herbicide like horticultural vinegar. This removes alternative food sources and hiding spots for thrips. Maintain a weed-free area around plants to discourage infestations.
With persistence and an integrated approach combining several methods, you can eliminate destructive thrips from your beach morning glories. Pay close attention and take action at the first sign of damage to protect the beauty and vigor of these coastal bloomers.
Morning Glory Pest Control
A successful way to rid your morning glory of aphids and spider mites is by syringing. Syringing will knock the pests from your plants by using a hard stream of water. To keep these insects under control, it is best if you repeat this process two times a week. Insecticidal soap and horticultural oils are also used in controlling pests. Both the soap and oil must make contact with the insects for them to be effective. You can also choose from natural pest controls or organic fungicides, like neem oil. You can also pluck the pests off with tweezers and drop them in soapy water. Doing this is the most environmentally safe way of ridding your morning glory of these pests. No matter which method you choose, be sure to be consistent and persistent as the health of your plant depends on your diligence.
Morning Glory Pest Problems
There are two common types of insect pests affecting morning glories; both are sucking pests. One is the cotton aphid and the other sucking pest is a spider mite. Cotton aphids come in many colors. They like to attack the morning glory in the morning. They are difficult to see, but if you look closely, you will observe a mass of aphids on a leaf that is yellowed and crinkling. The spider mite sucks the sap from the underside of the leaf with its sharp mouth. By the time spider mites are detected, a considerable amount of damage will have been sustained by the morning glory. There are also insects that like to eat through the leaves and stems of the morning glory. The leaf miner drills tunnels into the leaves of the plant. A green caterpillar called a leafcutter feeds at night and severs the stem of the morning glory and a golden tortoise beetle makes small to medium holes in the foliage. If your morning glory plant is not treated for pests, they will eventually attack the vine. Pests of morning glory vine need to be eradicated as soon as you see them or evidence of their presence.
GET RID OF THRIPS (and make sure they never come back)
FAQ
What instantly kills thrips?
What do you spray on morning glories for bugs?
What is the best control for thrips?
Can you save a plant with thrips?
Do thrips kill plants?
Thrips are tiny, winged insects that do tremendous damage to plants. These common pests feed on the sap and juices of houseplants, garden plants, and greenhouse crops. Thrip infestations can damage plants so much that leaves lose color, and plants eventually die. Thrips are challenging to get rid of.
How to control thrips organically?
Another common pest control method you can use for controlling thrips organically is sticky traps. Different colors attract different types of insect pests (blue and yellow for thrip insects). These can be readily purchased from garden centers, shops, and online. Besides, they are easy to hang near any infected plants, inside or outside the house.
What is beach morning glory?
Beach morning glory is also called railroad vine due to its scrambling nature and ability to cover less used tracks and roadsides. It is adapted to coastal areas where sand is plentiful and the soil is well-draining. Salt, heat, and wind don’t bother this plant and it is common to see it splayed across a dune in coastal regions.
How do I get rid of thrips in my garden?
A standard recipe is to combine 1 to 2 ounces of essential oil with a gallon of water. Spraying the plants thoroughly helps treat thrips. Essential oils such as orange oil, marjoram, and mint oil seemed successful. Read more on how to use essential oils for gardening.