I am a great lover of potted plants, and my apartment resembles a palm house.
Aphids
Quite recently my collection was seriously threatened by aphids. These small insects got on the plants during the summer stay on the balcony. They are very popular pests, but not everyone realizes how dangerous they can be to flowers.
Effect of aphid feeding
Aphids can cause a lot of damage, including:
- carry viruses,
- suck juice,
- cause unsightly distortions of the leaves,
- can lead to drying up of shoots or the death of entire plants.
Remedies for aphids
When I noticed that aphids appeared on my specimens, I immediately started working.
- All the flowers, without any exception, were taken to the bathroom every day and sprinkled with lukewarm water from the shower. Aphids do not like moisture and with small colonies that have just populated the plant, this method is very effective. Unfortunately, this is a very time-consuming solution and requires systematic work.
- I rinsed the specimens that were the most infected and became the source of the spread of pests with a homemade preparation. Chop a head of garlic into very small pieces and pour warm water over it. The next day, I soak a cotton ball in it and wipe the entire plant, leaf by leaf. It is also important not to use too high doses of fertilizers containing nitrogen - this element promotes the development of the pest.
Prophylaxis against aphids
I won the fight against aphids and I did not lose any specimen. Now I use a preventive measure called Eco-aphid. It is ecological, so it can be safely used at home. I wash all plants with it, as it is used not only to prevent aphids, but also to clean plants from dust and other raids.
Franciszka Konopnicka
