Aphids are among the most widespread pests in Germany. They attack garden and house plants and annoy amateur gardeners across the country. Instead of fighting the pests with expensive chemical agents, we declare war on them with a natural agent.
Prevent and combat aphids: Use simple tricks to keep the number of pests to a minimum
First of all: There are aphids in every garden. However, they often go unnoticed because they do not spread. Healthy plants are usually very resilient and beneficial insects such as ladybirds help keep the population in check.
Aphids multiply especially when the plants are stressed. For example, young plants that have just been planted in beds are particularly often attacked. Long dry periods in summer, a lack of nutrients or a bed that is planted too densely also make garden plants susceptible to aphids. Once the perennials, flowers and bushes have been weakened by external influences, aphids multiply quickly and attack them with a small “army”.
The first signs of a problem are yellow leaves and sticky leaf surfaces. The plants grow significantly slower. Then you have to act quickly and prevent an infestation at all costs.
Preventing aphids: Tricks to prevent them from spreading in the garden
As a first preventive measure, you can remove the weeds in the flower and vegetable patch. Aphids often attack weeds first and then spread throughout the garden. Thistles and field mustard are particularly attractive to pests and can also attract aphids from the neighboring garden. Therefore, be sure to remove the weeds that grow on the border with the neighbors.
Another trick that proves extremely useful in the home garden is to attract certain beneficial insects. This can be done by planting marigolds, sunflowers, daisies, alyssum or dill around the flowers or crops. Ladybugs and webbed beetles are natural enemies of aphids.
In addition, you can spray infected plants with the garden hose. The aphids are washed away and no longer climb the plants.
Fight and prevent aphids on houseplants
Houseplants often fall victim to aphids. They have in their own four wallsNo natural pestsEnemies. There are no other plants either. In addition, the potted plants are often close to each other. The small distance allows for rapid spread. Houseplants also often suffer from care errors and are stressed, making them even more vulnerable to pests. Fortunately, the problem can be solved quickly. Wrap the pot and root area of the affected plants with packaging film and thoroughly rinse the shoots and leaves under the shower. This is completely sufficient to remove the pests. If the houseplant is too tall and heavy, you can spray the aphids with rapeseed oil.
Nettle manure in the fight against aphids in flowers
The first step in the fight against aphids is prevention. The active phase in the life of the aphids begins as early as April. They can affect both crops and ornamental plants. In spring, however, the vegetable patch is usually empty. If certain crops are already growing in your kitchen garden, you can also use nettle manure for them.
In the ornamental garden, rose plants are primarily affected. It is therefore worth arming the roses in the garden with a secret weapon now. Fertilize them with nettle manure. To do this, first pour 5 liters of decalcified tap water over 500 g of fresh nettles and place them in a sunny spot in the garden. Stir in half a cup of stone flour, stir well every day and wait 14 days. You can use the manure when it no longer forms foam on the surface.
Dilute the nettle manure with water in a ratio of 1 to 10 and then pour the plants into the root area. The manure is rich in nitrogen and contains substances that are deadly to scale insects.
Make your own spray with nettle against aphids on roses
If the roses are already infested with aphids, you can initially put a handful of nettles in a small plastic bucket, pour 1 liter of water over them and leave them in a shady place in the garden for 2 days. Then fill the liquid into a spray bottle and spray the branches, shoots and leaves of the roses with it.
Aphids are one of the most unpopular pests in the home garden. Luckily, they can be done quickly and with youfight natural means. In the garden, nettle manure comes to the rescue - as a natural fertilizer or as a fertilizer, it contains substances that are poisonous to aphids. At home, simply rinsing off the pests also helps. Preventative measures include planting certain flowers and herbs, removing weeds, and good care.
