Aphids and Cycad flushes soft new foliage

[Tracy]

Since it is prime Cycad flushing season in the northern hemisphere, many of us that grow them are seeing new tender foliage emerging from our plants.  Since they flush all at once as opposed to individual leaves like our palms, it is always exciting to watch, whether it is a small seedling, or an established friend in the garden.  I have noticed that certain species seem more prone to aphids than others.  Normally we think of many Encephalartos genus plants as having dangerous armed leaflets that are rigid and hard but the opposite is true when these are flushing.  It makes them very susceptible to damage when the aphids attack.  My problem seems to be worst with the blue species Encephalartos, which introduces a new problem.  Normally the easiest way to remove aphids is with a good blast of water.  The problem with doing this to a blue species Encephalartos is that the blue color comes from the waxy surface coating which can be removed from repeated blasts of water.  For plants holding multiple flushes, its readily apparent how the process works, as the older flushes are green while the newest remain blue, just from rain and weather removing the coating.  Back to the Aphids, the water stream will work but isn't exactly the ideal solution if you are blasting off the waxy surface coating even before the leaflet has hardened off.

It normally isn't a problem that the entire flush is encompassed with aphids, but some of the top leaflets seem most likely subjects which leaves cosmetic damage on the flush when part of the leaflet dies or ends up deformed.

I have used a dose of Imidacloprid right before or as a Cycad flushes as a preventative, but am not always on top of it early in the season.  The species most prone to it are the finer leafed ones like E cerinus, E caffer, E laevifolius and E lanatus as well as many of the traditional blue species like E horridus, trispinosis, lehmannii and princeps.  I've had some problems with the eugene grouping and E inopinus as well.  Interestingly the green species rarely have aphids on their flushes and even some of my blue/green hybrids seem to be immune to attacks from aphids.  There is a correlation between weather (May grey/June gloom) and the prevalence of the aphid attacks.

So I post this to solicit others experience.  Are aphid attacks an issue for you?  Do certain species seem more prone?  What is your method of combating the problem?

As a side not, grasshoppers.  Damn things love fresh Encephalartos inopinus leaflets and they have robust appetites, but that's a different issue seemingly confined to just this one species in my garden.

[Gallop]

I had Grasshoppers wiping out new Ceratozamia leaves. I started using TalstarP and it’s resolved my issue. 

[Tracy]

18 hours ago, Gallop said:

I had Grasshoppers wiping out new Ceratozamia leaves. I started using TalstarP and it’s resolved my issue. 

Interesting. Paul  I've never had grasshoppers or aphids really go after my Ceratozamia flushes.  Do you apply the TalstarP on a specific interval, or only when they are just about to or beginning to flush?

[amh]

I have had problems with both army worms and mealybugs. Both can be treated with seven dust, but mealy bugs can be treated with soapy water(Murphy's Oil Soap). Both treatments will not harm the plants.

[Merlyn]

I haven't had any real aphid issues, but we have a plague of lubber grasshoppers here all the time.  My method of controlling the lubbers is to have a bunch of crinum and canna lilies around.  They absolutely love the lilies, and mostly ignore the other plants.  So I periodically walk around the yard and grab them off of the lilies and stomp on them. 

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, amh said:

I have had problems with both army worms and mealybugs. Both can be treated with seven dust, but mealy bugs can be treated with soapy water(Murphy's Oil Soap). Both treatments will not harm the plants.

The challenge with soaps and oils is that they wash off some of the wax on the blue Encephalartos, as does the high pressure water blast.  It was the pup flushing on this little blue Encephalartos that had aphids that prompted me to create this string.  I had a similar issue last year with it and you can see that the waxy surface is splotchy on the newest main caudex flush from water washing away some of the powder.  The older flush below it is actually more blue, because its leaflets were hardened off when I had to deal with it last year.  I'm optimistic that my systemic treatment will be in full force when the main caudex flushes soon, so I won't have to use any water pressure, soapy water or Neem oil.  I won't use systemics like this on flowering plants for fear of killing bees and other good bugs, but feel its ok on cycads in that they are non-flowering.

[Gallop]

4 hours ago, Tracy said:

Interesting. Paul  I've never had grasshoppers or aphids really go after my Ceratozamia flushes.  Do you apply the TalstarP on a specific interval, or only when they are just about to or beginning to flush?

I apply Talstar P every three months.   When I see the smaller Ceratozamia about to flush,  I’ll spray around the plant for added protection.  Before I started this protocol the Grasshoppers were eating most all new leaves on the smaller plants. 
Now I’m getting a nice set of leaves The grasshoppers would have destroyed this flush had I not sprayed. They tend to eat the leaves as soon as they emerge. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2022 by Gallop

[amh]

18 hours ago, Tracy said:

The challenge with soaps and oils is that they wash off some of the wax on the blue Encephalartos, as does the high pressure water blast.  It was the pup flushing on this little blue Encephalartos that had aphids that prompted me to create this string.  I had a similar issue last year with it and you can see that the waxy surface is splotchy on the newest main caudex flush from water washing away some of the powder.  The older flush below it is actually more blue, because its leaflets were hardened off when I had to deal with it last year.  I'm optimistic that my systemic treatment will be in full force when the main caudex flushes soon, so I won't have to use any water pressure, soapy water or Neem oil.  I won't use systemics like this on flowering plants for fear of killing bees and other good bugs, but feel its ok on cycads in that they are non-flowering.

I haven't had an issue using Murphys, but I do not use a high pressure water stream. The only blue cycad I have is an Encephalartos lehmannii, which has maintained its color.

[knikfar]

My biggest challenge is the rabbits eating the new growth. I've been using Liquid Fence but it has to be reapplied pretty often. I'm beginning to think my cycads won't ever look normal.