Tiny insects infecting plants and flowers are known as aphids. These soft bodied insects are green or white in color. They basically feed on the juices of the plant. Some common signs of infestation by aphids may include; leaves that curls, honeydew or sooty mold on leaves, cast skins on leaves, distorted new growth and yellow spots on the surfaces of upper leaves. The aphids are responsible for giving diseases to the plants.
Aphids Home Remedies
There are several home remedies for aphids which are easy and can be tried at home. Some of the popular home remedies for aphids are:
1. One of the simplest home remedies for aphids is to cut orange peels into smaller pieces and mix these pieces with two cups of water for around 20 seconds. Use sieve to separate water from the pieces and then mix two tablespoons of baby shampoo. Now take a spray bottle and fill it with this mixture. Use strong jet of plain water to spray the plant first. Try testing this spray on a single plant, in case if the spray is too strong it can damage the whole garden. You can spray it on all the parts of plant such as stems and leaves.
2. Take a cup of cooking oil and add two teaspoons of liquid dish soap, make them into a mixture. Now take a cup of water and add two tablespoons of this mixture and blend them together. Fill this solution in a spray bottle and spray on the plant. This is considered to be one of the effective home remedies for aphids.
3. Take two teaspoons of mineral oil and then add ten to fifteen diced garlic pods in it. Leave this mixture for 24 hours and then strain this mixture in a bowl. Now add half a liter of water and teaspoon of liquid dish soap into it. You can fill a spray bottle with this solution and spray it all over the plant.
4. Over fertilization of plant should be avoided at all cost. Over growth caused due to over fertilization in a plant attracts aphids.
5. Plants such as asters, zinnias, nasturtiums, larkspur, cosmos, mums, hollyhocks, dahlias, verbena and tuberous begonias attract aphids. Therefore keep these plants away from rest of the valuable plants such as vegetable plants and rose plants.
6. Organic control of aphids is one of the best home remedies for aphids. Introduce predators which feed on aphids. Predators of aphids include lady bugs, lacewings, hover flies and aphid predator (which is actual bug called that). Try planting dill, mint fennel, dandelions, clover and yarrow in your garden. This will keep your garden free of aphids naturally.
7. In order to get rid of aphids and add strength to your plants, just mulch banana peels into the ground at the base of the plant.
8. You can use scissors or pruning shears to cut off those parts of the plant which are heavily infested.
9. Putting onion and garlic plants near infested plants helps in driving away aphids as they are not fond of the scent.
These were some of the effective home remedies for aphids which can be tried at home with ease.
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