Glasshouse whitefly, also known as Trialeurodes vaporariorum, is a common pest that can be found in greenhouses, conservatories, and on indoor plants. These small, winged insects are about 2mm in size and have a white, waxy coating on their wings. They are known to cause damage to a wide variety of plants, including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and ornamentals such as ficus, poinsettia, and hibiscus.
Black vine weevil, also known as Otiorhynchus sulcatus, are small, black beetles that can cause significant damage to a wide variety of plants, particularly those grown in greenhouses and nurseries. These pests have a distinctive curved snout and can be found feeding on the leaves, stems, and roots of plants.
For the most part aphids, more commonly known as green fly or black fly, don’t really affect Geraniums. However, never say never. Last year, conditions seemed to be perfect for the nursery to experience a siege from these mini monsters. Luckily, this glut of aphids came with its perfect partner, the Ladybird and better still Ladybird larvae. Ladybirds love to munch on aphids and their offspring are insatiable, soon the siege was over, and the ladybirds were victorious. Hurrah!
Mildews are a group of fungal infections that plants can develop, usually affecting the leaves and stems but rarely flowers and fruits. The most common forms are Powdery mildew and Downy mildew. In short Powdery mildew creates a powdery coat on plants while Downey mildew creates discolour blotches on the upper leaf surface while a white or grey or purple mould forms below.
You probably recall the occurrence of Ash dieback disease (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus), which also originated on the continent and became present in the UK after infected tree stocks were imported. Over the last year or so you may have heard about a disease spreading throughout the continent called Xylella or Xylella fastidiosa to give it its name in full, unfortunately there is again a real risk to plants here in the UK of being under attack from a foreign disease. Fortunately, governing bodies such as DEFRA and the APHA, Animal and Plant Health Agency, are ahead of the curve on this threat and are working hard to prevent this disease entering the UK by introducing stringent controls.
