Gardening in Fuerteventura

[Tardis]

The Monarchs have taken a liking to our lantanas.  We also discovered a couple of Red Admirals in the garden yesterday.

Depending on how things go, we might have a few Monarch caterpillars that need good homes.  If that is the case, would any of you like some?

[OMR + MIN]

We had a Red Admiral yesterday too. Still plenty of Painted Ladies.

My young plants won't sustain any caterpillars yet. So sorry.

Greats pics. Thanks.

[Tardis]

The Monarch butterfly caterpillar in the top left of the attached photo is about 3 days old and just over 1cm long.  After about 10 - 12 days, they grow to the size of the one in the bottom of the photo. It took ages to get two unpredictable caterpillars in close proximity!  

It’s been another busy couple of weeks.  About 12 caterpillars have now transformed into chrysalises.  Yet again, we’ve had to cull eggs and caterpillars.  Probably getting on for 300.  

We’ve tried to make some of our milkweed a no go area for caterpillars, so hopefully there will be some flowers in bloom for new butterflies in a week or two's time.

Has anyone tried to breed ladybirds to keep aphids at bay?

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Great pic Tardis!
I've been away for 2 weeks and my milkweed is smothered in aphids again. I would love to have more ladybirds as well. As I have no caterpillars at the moment I am going to give my plants a good drench with Neem. I've also got massive infestations of various scale pests and cochinilla to deal with on my other plants/shrubs - I think they were all waiting for me to go on vacation!

My mirabilis have been stripped by the giant Death's Head Hawk Moth caterpillars. Last month they were on the Guaydil. I counted 6 of the monsters this morning.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Soldier bugs had taken up residence in a friend's Stephanotis seedpod!

[Tardis]

Great pic Tardis!
I've been away for 2 weeks and my milkweed is smothered in aphids again. I would love to have more ladybirds as well. As I have no caterpillars at the moment I am going to give my plants a good drench with Neem. I've also got massive infestations of various scale pests and cochinilla to deal with on my other plants/shrubs - I think they were all waiting for me to go on vacation!

My mirabilis have been stripped by the giant Death's Head Hawk Moth caterpillars. Last month they were on the Guaydil. I counted 6 of the monsters this morning.

Gosh Tamara, you are going to be busy.  I hope you get everything sorted out.

Here’s a website with various suggestions for controlling aphids on milkweed:

https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/contr...ed-plants/

One suggestion, is placing thin strips of banana peel on milkweed stems near buds/blooms where aphids like to congregate.  It did not work for us.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Was delighted to spot a seed pod on my indoor Stephanotis today. Quite amazing that a flower got pollinated as I have insect screens on all doors and windows and rarely get any insects indoors.



and has anyone got any idea what these are? Small thread like structures with white blobs on the end!

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Today it's the turn of Poinsettias.

I have a shrubby poinsettia that I grew from cutting a few years back. It's about 2m tall now and I cut it back to 1m each February. The red bracts have really started to show in the last couple of weeks. By Christmas they will big mop heads of colour.



In Fuerte, as in the UK, many shops will be selling potted poinsettias as Christmas decoration. I had one last year, and was given 2 more to experiment with in the New Year. Around February I pruned them slightly and placed them in a shade frame outdoors. 2 survived this and went on to be planted in my raised beds. 1 survived this and is very happy:

It has stood up to the gales of the last few days very well.

The biggest problem I have found with these plants indoors is whitefly who leave a sticky deposit which attracts black mould. Spraying top and bottom of leaves with well diluted washing up liquid seems to do as well as anything for clearing some of the little pests. I'm going to try a nicotine wash this year if I get the problem again.

Where I lived in the UK there was a poinsettia breeder who opened his greenhouses to the public at this time of year for a weekend charity fundraiser - the sheer volume of colour was amazing! If you are in East Kent look up Summerfield Nursery.

from wiki:
Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 0.6–4 metres (2–13 ft). The plant bears dark green dentate leaves that measure 7–16 centimetres (2.8–6.3 in) in length. The colored bracts—which are most often flaming red but can be orange, pale green, cream, pink, white, or marbled—are often mistaken for flower petals because of their groupings and colors, but are actually leaves. The colors of the bracts are created through photoperiodism, meaning that they require darkness (12 hours at a time for at least five days in a row) to change color. At the same time, the plants require abundant light during the day for the brightest color.
The flowers of the poinsettia are unassuming and do not attract pollinators. They are grouped within small yellow structures found in the center of each leaf bunch, and are called cyathia.
The poinsettia is native to Mexico. It is found in the wild in deciduous tropical forests at moderate elevations from southern Sinaloa down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico to Chiapas and Guatemala. It is also found in the interior in the hot, seasonally dry forests of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Reports of E. pulcherrima growing in the wild in Nicaragua and Costa Rica have yet to be confirmed by botanists.

[Tardis]

These little bees on our Milkweed are only about 4mm long.  It looks as if they have a drop of nectar, water, or something else in their mouths.  You can see refraction.  Any suggestions?

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

No idea what they are but superb pictures and cute little bees!