Blue Parrot

Pests & beneficial insects

🐛 Prone to: Aphids

Aphids

Aphididae

Curled leaves, sticky honeydew and ants on patrol — usually with something already eating them.

.

Attract Hoverflies

Hoverflies

Syrphidae

The adults only drink nectar. It is the larvae that eat the aphids.

, Lacewings

Lacewings

Chrysopidae

Golden-eyed adults that mostly drink; larvae that hunt like small alligators.

, Ladybugs

Ladybugs

Coccinellidae

The one predator here where the adults hunt as hard as the larvae do.

, Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Braconidae, Ichneumonidae and relatives

Pinhead-sized, stingless, and lethal to aphids and caterpillars from the inside.

to keep them in check — plant African MarigoldGreat, French MarigoldGreat and BuglossGood nearby.

How it's grown

Blue Parrot is usually grown from bulbs rather than seed. Plant bulbs pointed-end up at roughly two to three times their own depth.

Companion Planting

• 
  African Marigold
  

  African MarigoldGreat pair

  • ❧African Marigold attracts Hoverflies and Lacewings and more, which prey on the Aphids that attack Blue Parrot
  • ❧African Marigold suppresses pests that trouble Blue Parrot
  • ❧Blue Parrot draws Bees and Bumblebees and more that improve pollination for both
• 
  French Marigold
  

  French MarigoldGreat pair

  • ❧French Marigold attracts Hoverflies and Lacewings and more, which prey on the Aphids that attack Blue Parrot
  • ❧French Marigold suppresses pests that trouble Blue Parrot
  • ❧Blue Parrot draws Bees and Bumblebees and more that improve pollination for both
• 
  Allard's Lavender
  

  Allard's LavenderGood pair

  • ❧Allard's Lavender attracts Hoverflies and Parasitic wasps, which prey on the Aphids that attack Blue Parrot
  • ❧Blue Parrot draws Bees and Bumblebees that improve pollination for both

How to grow Blue Parrot

1. Space10 cm apart
2. GrowFull sun
3. Harvest~180 days

Water: Low · Height: 55 cm · Soil: Well-draining — bulbs rot in wet soil