I’ve got a Japanese Maple outside my bedroom window. This time of year the leaves are usually changing from lush, bright green to dark, fall reds. But I noticed yesterday that the leaves were more brown and yellow than red, and in fact, my beautiful tree is infested with some seriously nasty bugs. Click the photo to see them closeup. So gross. Ugh.
The good news is that not all of my maples are infested. So, to stop them before they spread, today I applied Azamax, the General Hydroponics OMRI listed insecticide. It’s organic and way easy to use. It’s also totally safe for the many beneficial creatures in my woodland forest garden. Before GH released Azamax, I used to create a hippie concoction of garlic, cayenne and neem oil- it was a total pain in the ass and honestly, some bugs didn’t like it, but it never really worked. Azamax absolutely works, and it works in three unique ways. It repels them from the leaves, it prevents them from eating, and it disrupts the molting hormones in juvenile insects.
The rates of application are listed in the information booklet that comes with Azamax, including very specific information on each crop and each pest. Because a little goes a long way, I mixed up the low-end, mid-range rate: 1 fluid oz. per gallon. I did some simple calculations and poured 1 tablespoon into my 32 oz. bottle. It’s enough Azamax to cover 1000 square feet.
When the amber colored Azamax concentrate meets water, it becomes a milky white emulsion. After you mix it, keep it well mixed by shaking up the bottle as you work. And be sure to use your prepared mixture within 24 hours. Spray it on both sides of the leaf, and try to cover the plant as completely as possible. It’s recommended that you spray every 7 to 10 days, but because my situation is particularly dire, I’m going to spray every 5 days until I see an improvement.
Related Content:
Azamax, What Does It Do?
Azamax in the Detroit News