Your zinnias could be at risk from these 5 common pests—here’s how to protect them

Key Points

• Zinnias attract pests because of their tender growth and blooms, making them vulnerable without proper care.
• Common zinnia pests include aphids, spider mites, earwigs, grasshoppers, and Japanese beetles.
• Physical removal, traps, and natural predators are effective methods for controlling infestations and protecting plants.

As much as we love zinnias in a summer garden, so, too, do a number of common garden pests. From spider mites and aphids to earwigs and grasshoppers, certain pests can destroy groupings of zinnias overnight or in a matter of days, leaving you with hole-punched leaves, no stems, and zero colorful blooms.

Here are five common zinnia pests to watch out for, according to gardening experts. The gardening experts we spoke to also gave us tips for preventing these pests so your Zinnias can stay standing tall, boasting their pink, gold, red, or orange petals throughout July and August.

Meet the Expert

• Kelly Radcliff is the founder of Lazy Girl’s Garden Club. She shares her sprawling zinnia garden with 200k+ followers on Instagram and is dubbed ‘The Zinnia Queen’ online. 
• Shelly Deaton is the cofounder of EarthSpoke Farms, a 24-acre flower farm located in Mendocino, California. 

Japanese Beetles

Kelly Radcliff, founder of Lazy Girl’s Garden Club and dubbed ‘The Zinnia Queen’ online, Japanese beetles are the pest she battles most in her own garden. 

Japanese beetles are persistent and cause severe cosmetic damage to zinnias’ leaves and flowers, leaving leaves skeletonized and lacy-looking. Often, they start at the top of a plant and work downward, so you’ll notice damage on new growth before old growth.

“Sadly, there is not much you can do besides hand-picking them off,” Radcliff says.

Experts caution against using Japanese beetle traps to manage infestations, since these pheromone-releasing devices can inadvertently attract more beetles to your garden.

While time-consuming, physically removing the beetles or using barriers, such as mesh around your flowers, is the best way to protect your zinnias from Japanese beetles.  Radcliff recommends rinsing stems with soapy water.

“This is necessary so that they don’t multiply and come back the next year!” she says.

Aphids

Aphids are a common garden pest that is known for being non-discriminating. You’ll often find these small, soft-shelled, sap-sucking pests enjoying the tender new shoots of nitrogen-rich plants like brassicas (cabbage, kale, broccoli), nightshades and root veggies, nasturtiums, roses, and unfortunately, zinnias. Left unchecked, aphids can cause damage to new growth and hinder the plant’s ability to produce the gorgeous blooms zinnias are famous for. 

Shelly Deaton, cofounder of EarthSpoke Farms, says she and her team take a two-prong approach to managing aphids on their 24-acre flower farm. 

“To help keep populations in check, we’ve released beneficial insects such as lacewing larvae and ladybugs, which are natural predators of aphids,” she says. “We also release beneficial nematodes into the soil. Nematodes support a healthy soil ecosystem and help combat pests by eating the larvae of pests that are in the soil before they become a problem.”

That said, if you notice an established aphid infestation on your zinnias, you don’t need to jump right to adding beneficial insects or nematodes to your garden.

Deaton notes that the best course of action for smaller infestations is to prune out the affected area to prevent the pests from spreading and treat the plant with insecticidal soap or a blast of soapy water. 

Earwigs

If you’re noticing large holes in the leaves of your zinnias, and there are more there in the morning than when you last peeked at night, chances are you’re dealing with an earwig infestation. 

“Earwigs are sneaky and tend to come out at night, and they love damp, dark areas,” Radcliff says. They chew holes in leaves and flowers, too.”

Radcliff recommends creating DIY earwig traps by mixing a small amount of soy sauce and oil in a shallow container, then burying it in the garden so the container’s lip is flush with the soil and the dark color blends in with the dirt. The earwigs are attracted by the scent of the soy sauce and easily become trapped in the oil mixture. 

Another option is to place damp cardboard or newspaper around the base of your plants in the evening, which acts as a perfect hiding spot for earwigs. Then, in the morning, simply dispose of the earwigs on the cardboard, making sure they won’t be able enter your home or re-enter your garden.

Spider Mites

Spider mites can be challenging to see on your zinnias, but gossamer on the underside of the leaves or between the leaf and the stem is always a dead giveaway. Yellow and white stippling on the tops of the leaves, along with leaves that are curling and turning brown, are also signs of a spider mite infestation. 

These common pests may be tiny, but left unchecked, they can devastate a zinnia garden in a short amount of time. The experts say to use a hose to gently wash the pests off your plants, then follow up with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Continue treating the zinnias daily until you no longer see any signs of pests. 

Spider mites are especially common during extended periods of hot, dry weather. As a result, keeping your zinnias well-watered will help make them more resistant to spider mite infestations. 

Grasshoppers

Lastly, Radcliff warns about the risk grasshoppers pose to your zinnias. Like spider mites, grasshoppers love hot, dry conditions. They chew through your plants’ leaves, causing cosmetic and physical damage that can make it challenging for your zinnias to bloom. 

“For grasshoppers, the only thing that has worked for me is something called EconBran that I sprinkle around the base of my raised beds,” Radcliff says. 

Keeping your lawn and garden well-maintained can also help reduce grasshopper populations by destroying their breeding habitat. Encouraging natural predators such as birds in your yard is another strategy gardeners frequently employ. Hanging bird feeders and birdhouses, providing natural perches in trees and shrubs, and adding a birdbath are just a few ways to attract birds to your yard.

Read the original article on The Spruce