That's most interesting! Hmmm...now the Asclepias in nasty clay soil DOES get aphids. So maybe adding some sand to the mix will be the key.

I don't know - but the ones growing in sandy soil are perfect and totally unblemished. All my others are a disaster.

I have aphids on the tuberosa, but none on the incarnata. It was like this last year, too.

Cameron

I figure seeing aphids means the butterflies are not far behind...hope, hope, hope.

Penny

When I don't find aphids on a milkweed plant, I look for the Ladybugs!

I bought three tubs of lady bugs in one month. They can't keep up.

I have 4 asclepias physocarpa which are well over 9' tall and so infested. Another one growing in sandy soil, no aphids.

Same with the asclepias curassavica. Sandy soil no aphids, fertile soil covered with aphids.

My asclepias curassavica are covered with aphids and ladybug larvae. I can't make myself put soapy water on my milkweed with the ladybugs, but they sure do not eat the aphids fast enough! Maybe I should buy some sand for my flowerbeds.

That is very interesting, Edna. I am always afraid to add sand to my soil because I am afraid I'll turn my clay soil into cement but maybe I will try it somewhere in the yard and see what happens. I have noticed that some of my milkweed plants have a lot of aphids and some have none but it shouldn't be the soil. I wish someone would come up with a cure for aphids and a cure for wasps. Somedays are worse than others but I have times when I just want to scream out of frustration.

Tomorrow, I think I will go out and check the milkweed to see if I can see what there is about some which do not have the aphids that may be different from the others. Murray

The aphids totally destroyed my Asclepias incarnata this year. I had to go out and buy replacements, but the only thing left was the Asclepias tuberosa, which is a perennial here, unlike the incarnata. I don't know what the difference is (it's not the soil), but I've had no aphid problem on the tuberosa so far. I did find one a couple weeks back and flicked flicked it off, but I've seen nothing like what happened to the incarnata.

Don't you think the aphids go to the plants which offer them the most "flavor". Those that are growing better, have more liquid in them etc. I like the wasps because they will eat the aphids. I rescued a beautiful one the other day who was drowning. Penny