How to get rid of cochineal from camellia

[Sbenny]

Cochineal on camellia can be very harmful. Here’s how to eliminate it and ensure that our flowers can grow healthy and lush.

The article How to get rid of cochineal from camellia seems to be the first on Organic Cultivation.


The post continues on our Blog: How to get rid of cochineal from camellia

What do you think about it? Feel free to reply below!

 

[Tempestive]

Mechanical cleaning (aka by hand) is always a good start. But one needs to keep in mind that these are feedback cycles - if you only address one of the issues in the cycle, it will likely return.
Weak, poorly maintained plants will be more susceptible to plague attacks, which in turn make the plant weaker, which in turn leads to rot and more moisture, which creates good reproductive conditions, feeding the cycle.

These sap-sucking plagues tend to like moist, shadowy and sheltered (from predators and heat) environments, so you should start by making sure the canopy is well aired, properly pruned (get rid of crossed branches which shelter insects and accumulate trash, prune damaged branches, etc... pruning is a science in and of itself), make sure not to get the leaves wet, as the insects dry out quickly, keep an eye on the state of the soil and poor nutrition discolorations, etc.
There are no fix-all formulae.

Lastly, if its a serious infestation, you can try applying systemic pyrethrines - or preferably, non-toxic approaches like spraying an antibacterial soap solution, cleaning the leaves with a neem/olive imbued cloth, or even spraying/watering with a tobacco/coffee/garlic infusion.