Pests and Illness
Candy myrtle is usually immune to deer and pretty low upkeep in the case of pests and illness. Listed here are a number of to look at for:
Pests
Most pest issues are minor and straightforward to handle if the plant is wholesome and rising in best circumstances.
Scale
Scale bugs are within the order Hemiptera they usually fluctuate extensively of their look.
Those that assault candy myrtle can be flat and oval or barely bumpy. All may have a protecting waxy coating and can fluctuate in colour from white to black.
If you happen to aren’t positive if it’s scale or some bizarre lump forming on the stems of your plant, attempt scraping them off. Scale will come off when you scrape them together with your fingernail or a butterknife.
A small infestation is pretty straightforward to deal with by scraping them off or wiping them with isopropyl alcohol.
Our information to coping with scale has extra data.
Spider Mites
Spider mites love scorching, dry circumstances, similar to candy myrtle. Sometimes, it’s not the tiny pests that you just discover however the webs they weave on the plant.
If you happen to discover wonderful webbing on the leaves, it’s seemingly there are spider mites round.
The pests themselves are in regards to the dimension of the tip of a pencil and are usually tan or pink. Gently spray them off the plant with a gradual stream of water.
You may be taught extra about controlling spider mites right here.
Thrips
Thrips are small, slender bugs that develop to about 1/sixteenth of an inch lengthy. They use their sap-sucking mouthparts to puncture the epidermal layer of the plant to suck the cell sap out.
This causes a dusty or silvery look to develop on the leaves and the flowers could also be brown or streaked. You may knock these off the plant with a wonderful stream of water or you’ll be able to prune off closely infested areas.
Study extra about thrips right here.
Illness
Chances are high you received’t encounter illness issues when rising candy myrtle.
Candy myrtle isn’t liable to many ailments, however root rot, brought on by oomycetes within the Phytophthora genus, is a possible drawback in poorly draining soil.
Indicators embrace wilting, yellowing, or browning leaves, signs that mimic drought stress. Because the leaves die, they drop from the plant.
As soon as contaminated, the plant often declines fairly quickly. To forestall it, plant in well-draining soil, keep away from overwatering, and clear your instruments between makes use of.
In early levels, you might be able to deal with the an infection with a Bacillus subtilis-based product like CEASE.
CEASE Biofungicide
CEASE is on the market in one- and two-and-a-half-gallon containers at Arbico Organics.
Observe the producer’s instructions fastidiously.
Greatest Makes use of
Candy myrtle is a flexible addition to the panorama. It really works superbly as a border or hedge, or you’ll be able to let it shine as a standalone specimen.
It matches equally properly in cottage-style or formal metropolis gardens. Smaller cultivars are well-suited to container rising. If you happen to dwell close to the ocean, it is a sensible choice, for the reason that salt air doesn’t hassle it.
Past its decorative attraction, candy myrtle presents a variety of culinary makes use of. The fruits, flowers, and leaves are all edible.
The berries have a taste harking back to juniper however milder, and they are often dried and used as a pepper substitute. The flavour stands up notably properly with pork and rooster.