Some have already gotten used to the sight and no longer pay attention to it, others feel immensely disturbed by the huge number of aphids that attack the garden hibiscus every year. It is usually the black specimens that appear on the fresh shoots and leaves. What can you do about lice on hibiscus?
Sometimes you are lucky enough to get rid of them through heavy spring rain or busy ladybird larvae etc. Anyone who has ever left lice on hibiscus will probably have noticed that they simply disappear at some point. But there is no guarantee and you will definitely be doing the plant a favor if you free it from the pest in time.
The aphid – small but mighty
As inconspicuous as a louse may be, when they come together in huge groups, which is usually the case, they can cause significant damage to a plant. In extreme cases, parts of the plant die, including the long-awaited flowers.
An infestation on hibiscus is usually so severe that it can be detected quickly and easily. But if the number of pests is smaller, it will also be noticeable on the leaves (they curl up, curl up and/or turn yellow). In addition, the sticky excretions of the lice can be seen on the plant parts. So you shouldn't be underestimated!
Fight lice on hibiscus for healthy plants and flowers
There are plenty of pesticides available on the market. But natural remedies that do not harm the environment should always be preferred. Especially if you also grow fruit and vegetables in your garden. Are there effective remedies that focus only on the pests so that you can use them to get rid of lice on hibiscus? And whether!
A notice:If you ultimately resort to a chemical pesticide if the infestation is very severe, make sure to choose a product that is suitable for use in kitchen and ornamental gardens.
Different types of soap
You've probably heard thatDishwashing liquid is a real miracle curein the fight against aphids. Nevertheless, there are also hobby gardeners who are not so enthusiastic about it. If you are one of them, you can also try another type of soap, namely soft soap.
You use this soap to make soapy water. To do this, simply mix a tablespoon of it with a liter of water. You may be able to warm the water slightly beforehand so that the soft soap dissolves more quickly. Either way, you then put the homemade product in a spray bottle and spray the plant with it, concentrating particularly on the affected parts (but not only).
A single application is by no means sufficient to get rid of existing aphids or to prevent new ones. Therefore, spray the plant daily until no more pests can be seen and then repeat the application against the lice on the hibiscus every few days for prevention.
Nettle miracle cure for lice on hibiscus
Before you get annoyed next time that nettles are growing in a corner of your garden: They are more beneficial than you might think and we don't just mean healthy tea and delicious nettle soup. The miracle cure is also very valuable in the garden.
- Make a manure from the nettles by simply placing them in water and letting them rest.
- After a few days, strain the water to use a spray bottle for pest control.
- To do this, spray the plant with the manure in the morning and evening (not during the hot midday sun).
- Once the pests have disappeared, you can use the product every few days to prevent lice on the hibiscus.
The manure is tooExcellent as fertilizer, so you can kill two birds with one stone by preparing it.
Other plants you can use in a decoction to combat aphids include:
- Field horsetail
- Garlic
- rain fern
- Soapweed
Ladybugs, earwigs and co.
While some of these creeping garden visitors make us uncomfortable, they are truly valuable to your plants. It is therefore always worth designing an insect-friendly garden, perhaps setting up an insect hotel and water sources and not always getting rid of every unpopular insect. Even wasps are real helpers in the fight against lice on hibiscus! So instead of banishing them from the garden completely, try to attract them to where they can be useful.
Tipp: Some natural enemies can even be purchased commercially and used in the garden.
Mixed culture in the fight against lice on hibiscus
By Antipina/Shutterstock
I really have to deal with an infestation in my garden every year. When I was pruning in February, I was already thinking that the hibiscus would soon be full of lice. This can be annoying since you already have enough gardening work to do. Loud helps in the long runGarden Journalhence the planting of repellent plants around the hibiscus bush. As you can probably already imagine, it is primarily fragrant plants that are effective against (black) lice on hibiscus:
- Savory
- Nasturtium (attracts them to themselves)
- Garlic
- Lavender
- Marigold
- sage
- Thymian
- Hyssop
- Onion
