Mangos and pests
By Victoria Torley
There is nothing like a good homemade pie, especially when you
grow and pick your own fruit. Apple pie is an old favorite at my
house, so are blueberry and peach. Sadly, none of those old
favorites grow in our climate. What’s a pie maker to do?
Black raspberries make a good pie to replace blueberry but then
what?
I’ll tell you what – mango.
Not just any mango though. For pie, your mango must absolutely be
on the green side. I am talking a firm mango. No squishy business.
Ripe mangos when baked in a pie are squishy and stringy. Not a
good replacement for apple or peach. Properly prepared with the
correct firm fruit, mango pie tastes a bit like apple mixed with
peach. A sort of between pie, juicy, slightly tart and tangy.
Better plan on going off your diet if you make a mango pie because
one slice isn’t enough.
So, grow mango but beware! Mangos are affected by over 400
different pests. Four hundred. Midges, flies, leaf borers, leaf
hoppers, pulp weevils, pulp weevils, and the regular old fruit
fly. But the worst? Shoot borers and stem borers because they will
take down a tree. The order Coleoptera includes 400,000 insects in
different families, and there are books devoted to their
identification. As a quick review, classification of all plants
and animals is simplified as follows:
Kingdom - Phylum - Class - Order - Family - Genus - Species
The last two, genus and species, constitute the binomial
nomenclature of the thing being described, for example, Homo
sapiens or Tyrannosaurus rex.
Back to the web sites which include:
- The Mango Factory*
- Mangifera*
- Research Gate*
But what good does it do you to know the binomial nomenclature of
the beetle that has flown up into your mango and is eating it
alive? Well, specific beetles have specific natural pests so
knowing your tree’s enemy can lead you to a natural cure. You
might also find that a natural spray is available for your tree’s
specific pest. Neem oil, for example, is a natural deterrent for
any number of pests but you need to know if it’s right for your
beetle or fly. Since ladybugs, also called lady bird beetles, are
a helpful insect, you want to avoid killing them with your spray.
It’s a complex puzzle.
Us? We lost an 80-year-old mango tree to something, and we still
don’t know what. But we do know that it is attacking a 10-year-old
tree. Sometimes I need help too.
Plant for the Week
Lantana with its herbal fragrance is a lovely but invasive plant,
so be sure to curb it a bit. The plant is wonderful for attracting
bees and butterflies and extracts have been used to curb cabbage
beetles, so it’s possible that it is a natural repellent, at least
for some insects. Flowers are vibrant in many shades including
red, yellow, orange and violet, so they make an attractive
addition to the garden. Full sun, moist soil and some occasional
weeding are all that are necessary for successful growth.
---------------------
For more information on this article of request for information
about gardening, Ms. Victoria Torley, gardener columnist, can be
reached at victoriatorley1@gmail.com |
|
