Thanks To The Fig Whitefly, We\u2019re Having White Christmas Seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like tiny clouds of snowflakes, the fig whitefly falls from a shaken branch. The overused ficus is now in decline due to this introduced relative of the cicada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I offered you a plant and said \u201ctry this as a hedge, it grows over ten feet a year, requires lots of water and fertilizer, has roots that stray far from the plant and may crack your home\u2019s foundation ,\u201d would you take it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If not trimmed, it will reach 80 to 100 feet in height and width. Now you can add the 100 to 175 dollar quarterly visit from your local pest control company to control Ficus Whitefly to that scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several species of Ficus are invasive and require tax money to remove from our parks and private money to keep them out of our yards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only the strangler fig and short leaf fig are native to Florida and are a very important berry producer for our birds. If you must have a fig tree, plant one of these at least 50 feet from any structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Diversity: a mix of plants, rather than a monoculture, stops pests from building up in numbers and spreading to other members of its preferred species. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When one kind of plant is killed by a pest, especially an introduced pest like the Fig Whitefly, you don\u2019t suddenly loose all of your cover at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shrubs to replace ficus include the Simpson, Spanish, red and redberry stoppers. These, along with myrtle of the river, are in the guava family and yield small dark or red berries that the birds fight over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jamaica caper, marlberry, Walter\u2019s viburnum and firebush have lovely flowers and berries. For wind and salt tolerance try indigo berry, blolly, myrsine, Florida privet, yaupon holly and saw palmetto. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pineland privet attracts many butterflies when in flower. Marlberry and wild coffee are great in the shade. Wild coffee has beautiful red berries at Christmas time and it\u2019s fun to bring cuttings of these indoors for the holidays. Rinse off the insects hiding among the fruit if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The plants that I am recommending are slow to moderate growers and can be kept low with yearly selective pruning. This job requires thought and is much quieter than the mindless drone of hedge clippers every month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is also safer and doesn\u2019t use gas. Never box a hedge; it won\u2019t produce fruit and looks\u2026 well, square. A mixed hedge with a textured appearance is more aesthetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enjoy the Christmas season by shaking a ficus branch to create a blizzard of tiny Fig Whiteflies. Look at this as a great opportunity to replant your yard with natives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the long run it will be cheaper, quieter, safer, more attractive and you will have more birds and butterflies to enjoy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fig Whitefly Thanks To The Fig Whitefly, We\u2019re Having White Christmas Seasons. Like tiny clouds of snowflakes, the fig whitefly falls from a shaken branch. The overused ficus is now in decline due to this introduced relative of the cicada. If I offered you a plant and said \u201ctry this as a hedge, it grows […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[772],"tags":[807,808],"class_list":["post-4268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-welcoming-wildlife","tag-ficus-whitefly","tag-fig-whitefly"],"yoast_head":"\n