permaculture

[yarrow@sfo.com]

Plants do communicate with insects. If they are under attack, all 
plants in an area will start manufacturing chemicals to make them 
less tasty to insects. Also, if plants are sick, they broadcast 
chemicals that, in effect, invite predators.

Aphids are attracted by too-rapid growth, usually from too much 
nitrogen (especially synthetic fertilizers) or too much water. They 
can often be dislodged with a spray of water, though for a whole tree 
this could be a lot of work.

I've heard it's common for lady beetles to fly away -- they're often 
collected in the mountains, not bred locally, and have no reason to 
stay in one place or another.

For a foliar feed, I'd try aerated compost tea first. I don't have 
fruit trees myself, alas, but have heard it can prevent peach leaf 
curl and other recalcitrant problems if used early enough in the 
season.

Understory plants to try are the ones that provide year-round shelter 
and forage for the beneficials you want to attract, such as 
lacewings. Lady beetles are all over  my yarrow this year. Other 
plants with tiny flowers are also good -- most of the beneficials are 
tiny and need correspondingly tiny flowers.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: paul@richsoil.com
> To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> Sent: Sat, 12 May 2007 12:20 PM
> Subject: [permaculture] does squishing aphids attract aphid predators
>
>
> A plum tree I recently started caring for has lost about a third of
> its leaves to aphids this year.   Every time I buy ladybugs, they just
> fly away - and this time was no different.  I released them at dusk
> and they were all over the tree when it was dark. In the morning they
> were all gone.   Maybe they ate some aphids at night before they left.
>
> I've sprayed the tree twice with alaska fish fertilizer (as a foliar).
>  I think this is a quick step in helping the tree become stronger and
> fight off the aphids naturally.  I've now mulched the tree and started
> planting things that might help the tree in the long run.
>
> As I squished some of the aphids I was thinking that maybe the smell
> of the squished aphids would attract aphid predators.  Would this be
> just wishful thinking on my part?  Has anybody ever heard of anything
> that might support this idea?
> __________________________