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 Budworm Advice?		  New Topic  Reply to Topic
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Author Garden Gate: Previous Topic Budworm Advice? Next Topic  

katydid83
Farmgirl in Training

41 Posts

Kate
Upton MA
USA
41 Posts
Posted - Aug 17 2024 :  11:19:35 AM  Show Profile
Hi everyone! Wondering if some of you have experience dealing with budworms…they have eaten up all of the beautiful petunias I planted earlier this summer! It’s so frustrating that two of my three planters have been entirely wiped out by these little you-know-whats…

I have family visiting later in the month and was hoping to have big fluffy patio planters by now since that is where we spend a lot of our time. I am wondering if it’s worth buying new petunias, getting rid of the old potting soil, and planting them in new soil…or if the moths are still going to be laying more eggs and spreading more worms. Ugh! I have also heard there is a powder you can apply to your plants when you first notice the damage, but mine are obviously too far gone to bother with that now.

Thanks in advance for any info you may have!

Kate
Farmgirl Sister #8534

StitchinWitch
True Blue Farmgirl

2381 Posts

Judith
Galt CA
USA
2381 Posts
Posted - Aug 17 2024 :  12:13:12 PM  Show Profile
They destroyed a geranium this year. I'm wondering if dusting with diatomaceous powder would work. I don't want to use anything toxic.

Judith

7932 FGOTM 6/21, 6/24
I'm old and I do wear purple
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katydid83
Farmgirl in Training

41 Posts

Kate
Upton MA
USA
41 Posts
Posted - Aug 17 2024 :  1:49:29 PM  Show Profile
Judith, I have read that these buggers do eat geraniums and petunias. The ingredient I have heard of that will kill them off is called “bt” which is a bacteria only harmful to this species. The product I guess is called DiPel, non-toxic to kids, pets, etc. But you do have to catch the damage early in their life cycle, mine are beyond that point for sure! More info on the PW website: https://www.provenwinners.com/learn/care/where-did-my-blooms-go#:~:text=The%20product%20is%20called%20DiPel,in%20turn%20eat%20the%20budworms.

Kate
Farmgirl Sister #8534
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl

7230 Posts

Krista
Utah
USA
7230 Posts
Posted - Aug 19 2024 :  2:08:20 PM  Show Profile
Kate, last year we had a bad invasion of army worms. I used Neem oil on them and it helped a lot. Maybe that will work for your budworms.

Krista
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katydid83
Farmgirl in Training

41 Posts

Kate
Upton MA
USA
41 Posts
Posted - Aug 20 2024 :  04:57:40 AM  Show Profile
Krista, thank you for the suggestion! It sounds like neem would be effective against them. The advice seems to be that it should be applied in early morning or in the evening so it doesn’t burn the plants, and also that it shouldn’t be applied to any plants that attract beneficial insects like butterflies. One of my petunia planters does have some butterfly-attracting flowers in it, so maybe I will look for that bacteria concentrate next time I am at the garden center! But good to know neem is an option in certain situations :)

Kate
Farmgirl Sister #8534
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl

7230 Posts

Krista
Utah
USA
7230 Posts
Posted - Aug 21 2024 :  4:18:03 PM  Show Profile
Kate, we used the neem oil on the garden because they were eating the whole vegtable plant. I forgot about the flower aspect. Hopefully you can find the bacteria concentrate and can get rid of them soon.

Krista
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