Princess Irene

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 Viper's BuglossGreat, Bishop's FlowerGood and Black-eyed SusanGood nearby.

How it's grown

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

Companion Planting

• 
  round leaf lavender
  

  round leaf lavenderExcellent pair

  • ❧round leaf lavender attracts Hoverflies and Parasitic wasps, which prey on the Aphids that attack Princess Irene
  • ❧Princess Irene draws Bees and Bumblebees that improve pollination for both
  • ❧round leaf lavender roots deep while Princess Irene feeds near the surface — no competition
• 
  Spanish lavender
  

  Spanish lavenderExcellent pair

  • ❧Spanish lavender attracts Hoverflies and Parasitic wasps, which prey on the Aphids that attack Princess Irene
  • ❧Princess Irene draws Bees and Bumblebees that improve pollination for both
  • ❧Spanish lavender roots deep while Princess Irene feeds near the surface — no competition
• 
  Alfalfa
  

  AlfalfaGreat pair

  • ❧Alfalfa fixes nitrogen in the soil that Princess Irene feeds on
  • ❧Princess Irene draws Bees and Bumblebees that improve pollination for both
  • ❧Alfalfa roots deep while Princess Irene feeds near the surface — no competition

How to grow Princess Irene

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

Water: Low · Height: 35 cm · Soil: Well-draining — bulbs rot in wet soil