Imagine my chagrin this year when for the first time ever I decided to try growing dill and woke up one morning wondering why the upper most tender portions of the plants, which were ready for harvest, were drooping heavily sideways. Upon closer inspection those portions were covered with aphids. Well, I certainly didn't want to use anything as a remedy that would be toxic so went to several internet sites to find a workable natural solution.
By the way, you will also want to check plants, both edible and ornamental, near the infested ones. I found those little buggers were also beginning to munch on my pepper plants! This is the solution that worked for me in just a couple of days by adjusting assorted homemade recipe ingredients that I came across on the web. First, in the case of my dill, I cut off the upper portions, which were most likely no longer fit to consume anyway, rinsed the remaining portions of the plants with a heavy stream of water and then heavily sprayed the plants and the surrounding soil with a water bottle using the following recipe:
Note: On the third and fourth days I did find a couple of renegade aphids on the stems and gave them a quick spray. When I checked each morning thereafter, those same little guys were brown and dead. I have absolutely no clue how or why but it gave me great satisfaction. ;-)
By Deeli from Richland, WA
My crepe myrtle bushes have been damaged by aphids. I trimmed off all the branches, but not the trunk. It's the first of October. Do you think they will give me a pretty blooms next summer? I tried spraying them with aphid pesticides, but it didn't work. I thought about vinegar next time. These bushes are in front of my house.
Please help.
Insecticidal soap will kill the aphids.
I had aphids in my garden not long ago. I used a sprayer filled with water and some laundry soap that was non toxic. I had to spray the leaves each day. After this you will need to take a garden hose and wash the leaves.
Do you mean you have trimmed the branches and removed the leaves?
I always keep Neem Oil and Insecticidal Soap in my shed as generally either one of these will kill almost any insect/disease that attacks my plants.
You can buy these in concentrate - to mix your own or in ready to use spray containers. Use as directed.
Sold online or at all garden centers.
npic.orst.edu/
www.amazon.com/
www.gardensafe.com/
www.amazon.com/
Sticky tape can be an effective method for capturing many types of insects, including aphids. This is a page about using sticky tape for aphids.
I have aphids on my four o'clocks. I have tried soap mixed with water applied with a sprayer and have also used high-yield bug blaster Bifenthrin 2.4 mixed with soap. I cannot get rid of these aphids which are sucking the juice out of my plants which are producing seeds.
These are genetically modified half-and-half colored flowers; it took me 30 years to breed these. In the only pic of flower you can see the red and yellow on same flower, too early for them to open. Somebody please help!
Plants do not die from aphids invasion but I understand it is ugly to look at, specially when they invade beautiful flowers like yours. I never use any chemicals. I used two simple methods, killed them by hands on small plants and never grow one type of plant only, on one spot, always grow next to it, marigold and calendula which are protecting /repelling plants and nasturtium which will concentrate the aphids.
Hello again ! If you want to have new Four o'clock flowers (Mirabilis jalapata), you can collect the seeds, or dig one of its tubers. Grown from seeds or not, Mirabilis japata develops big tubers, which looks like black radishes, you can dig a few, and put them in a pot covered with sand during the cold season and put it back in soil when the temperature rises.
I have had full scale aphid invasion over the last two summers that damaged my cucumber plants so bad they died. I tried blasting with water, and soap and water. I will try neem and oil and water with soap this year but due to our very hot summers, I think the sun and the oil will cook the plants anyway.
Is it OK to use Dawn dishwashing liquid soap in my mixture to kill aphids?
The soap can kill the plant. Go to any gardening center and buy insecticidal soap. It is safe to use on vegetables too.
I used to have a nice collection of roses in the back yard. I used a pepper concoction to get rid of the aphids if they appeared. Here is the recipe for it:
homeguides.sfgate.com/
This is a page about getting rid of aphids on roses. Aphids seem to like roses as much or more than we do.
Is it necessary to rinse soap from the tree after a certain time?
Thanks.
By Jack C. from Toronto, Ont. Canada
There are insecticidal soaps on the market, however, I normally just take a small spray bottle with tepid water and a few drops of a mild detergent soap. It is much less expensive and I particularly like the "green" detergent soaps.
If buying ladybugs is not an option, I have been successful making a spray made from a boiled onion or garlic. Strain the juice and spray on the plants affected by aphids. This works for me. Tobacco juice is also effective.
Aphids are trying to take over my houseplants. Help!
Hardiness Zone: 8b
By Keri from southern NM
If you use any type of spray, even something like Safer Soap, on your plants, it will take them a couple of weeks to recover, so I use plain old water to get rid of aphids.
Place a plant in the kitchen sink, use the sprayer to spray the under-side of each leaf, washing off the aphids. If any fall into the soil, it's OK, the aphids won't climb back up.
