Anyone who has decided to grow them on the windowsill knows the problem - plants grown early often fall victim to aphids. The pests quickly attack the leaves, transmit pathogens such as bacteria and viruses and weaken the plants. For all hobby gardeners, one thing is clear: the pests must be combated as quickly as possible. But how? A home remedy can help.
Fight aphids on young plants with onion broth
Insecticides are not a good option in your own garden. They are harmful to the environment and the beneficial insects in your own garden. Young plants are particularly sensitive to chemicals and can die quickly. What is possible as a treatment for already grown specimens cannot be used for freshly grown crops and ornamental plants. Instead, it is better to use natural remedies. Onions can help with this. On the one hand, because the smell of onions drives away aphids, and on the other hand, because the home remedy has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The first results don't take long to appear - after just a few days the majority of the aphids disappear. However, in order for onions to develop their full effect, the decoction should be used regularly.
Recipe for onion decoction – this is how you drive away the pests
First fill a pot with 1.5 liters of water. Then chop 10 g of onion or even better – chop it and add it to the water. Heat up and simmer briefly under the lid. Then remove from the heat, cool and let it steep for 4 hours. Alternatively, you can simply let the onions sit for 6 hours. Then strain the liquid and pour it into a spray bottle or watering can. Then the affected plants with theSpray home remedies. Spray the leaves on both sides as well as the stems and the ground. Under no circumstances should you forget the lower side of the leaf - this is where aphids often collect.
Repeat the process at least twice a week for the next four weeks. Even after the aphids disappear, continue treating the young plants with the onion broth until it is time to transplant.
A few important preventive measures after treatment
Rinse the plant leaves every now and then. In this way you can prevent an infestation or remove the insects if the infestation is weak. Another variant would be to wipe the leaves of the young plants with a damp cloth.Especially in springAfter they have already formed their second pair of leaves and have been pricked out, the young plants can be fertilized. There are special long-term fertilizers that contain natural active ingredients against pests.
Young plants are often fertilized with compost. To prevent aphids from getting there, you should only put healthy clippings and leafy greens in the compost container. Regular checks are also very important. Infected specimens should be moved to another room immediately. In spring, the insects reproduce particularly quickly; specimens with wings are hatched, which then attack neighboring plants. To prevent this, you should remove the diseased plants as quickly as possible.
The first few weeks outside are very critical for many pre-grown plants. They have to adapt to the new location and possibly withstand frost, wind and rain. If they are then additionally weakened by pests, they produce no flowers or fewer flowers and do not produce fruit. To prevent this, you should plan additional fertilizer applications. If vegetables are planted in a greenhouse, you should regularly check the humidity and waterlogging of the soil.
