The viburnum is relatively robust against diseases and pests. Only aphids occasionally bother him. The black aphid in particular uses the hardy viburnum as a winter host, and in the summer it retreats back to the farmer's jasmine.
How to protect viburnum from pests and combat existing ones?
To protect viburnum bushes from pests, you should use field horsetail broth as a preventative measure, hang up straw-filled clay pots as shelter for beneficial insects and use glue rings against leaf beetles. If there is an infestation, remove pests with a jet of water, soft soap or nettle broth.
For this reason, you should not plant these two shrubs in the immediate vicinity of each other. The shorter the aphid's path from winter to summer host and back again, the more pests will survive the journey.
How do I protect my viburnum bush from pests?
As is often the case, prevention is the best protection. If you take good care of your snowball, it will hardly suffer from pests or diseases. Above all, make sure to water it enough and not to fertilize it too much. Because over-fertilization or after too long dry periods leads to pest infestation more easily.
Aphids don't particularly like it if you treat your viburnum with a broth made from field horsetail as a precaution. Hang upturned flower pots on clay filled with straw or wood shavings. They serve as a shelter for beneficial insects that like to eat aphids, such as earwigs. Ladybugs or lacewings will also help you destroy aphids.
Mixed crops are less likely to be attacked by pests, and species-specific pests cannot spread as easily there. Lavender, savory and other plants use their essential oils to keep aphids away, for example. Glue rings (€9.00 at Amazon), which you can attach to the bottom of the bush, help against leaf beetles.
Preventive measures against pests:
- Glue rings against leaf beetles
- Pouring with a broth made from field horsetail
- Hanging up straw-filled clay pots as shelter for beneficial insects
What can I do if the pests are already there?
First spray your snowball with a strong jet of water; this will remove a large part of the small animals in a purely mechanical way. You can also use soft soap or nettle broth if water alone doesn't help enough.
Tip
Before you resort to chemical agents to combat pests, try out the various home remedies such as soft soap or beneficial insects. With a little patience and perseverance you can achieve a positive result without harming the environment.