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Eryngium Help

Tomjmorris88Tomjmorris88 Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Hello

I have some eryngium in my garden that I have grown from seed. I've never grown them before and this is their second year in the garden so they're starting to look rather big and lovely - but I have two questions! 

The first is identifying what might be affecting one of them and what to do about it and the other is what the white fluff is on all of them (I think the white fluff might just be a feature of the plant as they all look very healthy bar one).

I've attached photos of the unhealthy plant and the health one with the white fluff. Any help would be appreciated.

Posts

  • Tomjmorris88Tomjmorris88 Posts: 2

    This last photo is the unhealthy one the other two appear to be healthy and lush apart from the fluff 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,933
    The underside of the leaves are a soft furry white.
    If you unfurl one of the leaves in the last pic you'll find little bugs - I get them on mine too.
    This in one of the rare occasions I'll use a systemic insecticide.
    The bugs (aphids I think) are well secured in the curled-up leaves and a blast from the hose doesn't work - I've tried.
    Several years I just left them and got poor or no flowers, but a single treatment now should be all that's needed for the season.
    If you go this route, please use the spray at dusk when most of the pollinators have gone to bed.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,447
    A sprayed on dilution of Neem Oil and washing up liquid would also do the trick...I've had quite a few woolly aphids on my fledgling beech hedge and it killed them all off. Last year they really stunted their growth...so this year I've gone after them ;) 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,933
    The problem here is that the bugs are safe and snug inside the curled-up leaves.
    Neem oil is very good, but only works on contact with the bugs, and I doubt it's feasible to unfurl each leaf and spray, but by all means have a go.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,447
    Try and drench them from the underside...good luck, such a shame when it happens to plants we've nurtured for months. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • AsarumAsarum Posts: 655
    Your plants are actually Echinops, not Eryngium. I’ve often got them muddled up too 😀. 
    East Anglia
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,933
    Asarum said:
    Your plants are actually Echinops, not Eryngium. I’ve often got them muddled up too 😀. 
    This is also true :)
    My Eryngium only germinated a few weeks ago.
    The plant I have that suffers each spring is also an Echinops

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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