How to deal with a prolific garden pest. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Leafhoppers can be found in just about any garden. They’re destructive little sap-sucking insects, and they spread disease and damage plants. Because they are so prolific, and there about 20,000 different Leafhopper varieties, it’s inevitable that as a gardener, you’ll be affected by them at some point.
Leafhoppers are wedge-shaped and measure between an 1/8 and 1/2 inch in length. They can be green, grey or brown, or a mixture of colors and patterns.
Leafhoppers damage plants because they suck the fluid out after piercing the outer layer. To prevent them from coming around use row covers or shade cloths. If they’ve already invaded, try organic control using insecticide soap, Pyrethrum spray, or neem oil. Lady bugs and lacewings are also great weapons against Leafhoppers. Giving plants a strong spray of water in the morning will wash them away. And, when plants are healthy and strong they are most likely to resist these little critters.
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