Colonies of aphids, planting potted flowers and covering their leaves with sticky discharge, is a nasty sight for a plant lover. Fortunately, there aresimple ways to get rid of the aphids from your potted flowers , which will make them disappear quickly and won't come back for a long time. Here are3 effective methods to get rid of aphids , which can be used in home growing conditions. Soon your flowers will regain their vigor and glow!
How to get rid of aphids from potted flowers?
How to recognize aphids on potted flowers?
Aphids are common insectsthat can colonize almost every plant. They are small - they measure from 3 to 5 mm. Their strong fertility causes them to form large, multi-generational colonies of individuals that feed on the above-ground green parts of the plant. They are easy to recognize. Their body is delicate, sometimes almost transparent, oval of various colors (e.g. green, white, red). They are equipped with long, thin legs, antennae and a pair of delicate membranous wings.
Directharmfulness of aphids found on potted flowersconsists in sucking juices from young shoots of stems and leaves. By ingesting food, aphids introduce saliva into the plant, which changes its appearance. This results in deformations which reduce the decorative value of the ornamental plant. Moreover, the saliva of aphids is a vector of many viral diseases (e.g. cucumber mosaic virus, transmitted by cucumber aphids also colonizing ornamental plants).
3 ways to get rid of aphids from potted flowers
Toget rid of aphids from potted flowersit is necessary to use protective preparations. We use protective measures in an emergency, i.e. when the first specimens of the plant are noticed. We can use traditional chemicals or alternative natural preparations. As you will see in a moment, something that we usually have on hand in the kitchen is also enough!
1. Chemical protection
The easiest way isto get rid of aphids from potted flowersby spraying with preparations available on the market. The most frequently recommended ones are: Decis 2.5 EC, Fastac 100 EC and Sumi-alpha 050 EC. When using chemicals, carefully follow the instructions provided with the package. Before starting the treatment, the pot with the plant should be taken to the balcony or to the garden (unless, of course, it is too cold or hot) and wear a protective mask and gloves.
We perform chemical treatments in cloudy and windless weather, when the temperature does not exceed 25 ° C.
The disadvantage of this method of protection is the high toxicity of protective preparations and the high cost of their use. The advantage is high efficiency in the fight against aphids and a wide spectrum of their activity (also against other pests).
2. Ready-made natural preparations
If we do not want to use chemicals, we canget rid of aphids from potted flowersusing biopreparations commonly available in gardening stores. These are plant protection products whose active substance is of natural origin. The use of this type of measures is safe even in the apartment, due to low toxicity to people and the environment.
From the natural preparations available on the marketto get rid of aphidsit is worth using:
Himal garden potassium soap- the product is sold in the form of cubes (which are decomposed in pots attacked by aphids or which, to speed up the action, can be prepared with a water solution for washing plants) or in the form of concentrate.A version with garlic is also available, which increases the effectiveness of the preparation.
Spruzit 04 EC- an insecticide containing pyrethrin, an unstable toxic substance of plant origin. It is available in the form of a concentrate for preparation of an aqueous solution for spraying. It cannot be used on plants during flowering. The maximum number of treatments that can be performed is 2.
Multi-Insekt 750 ml by Substral- it is a water solution of vegetable oil sold in a convenient package in the form of a sprayer. It works physically on the aphids by creating a coating that blocks the flow of air. The preparation is applied as a spray every 7-10 days. The maximum number of treatments that can be performed is 3.
3. Natural preparations, prepared by yourself
We canget rid of aphids from potted flowersalso thanks to the use of self-prepared plant preparations. These preparations not only have insecticidal properties, but also repel potential pests.
To get rid of aphids from potted flowers, useextracts and decoctions of onion, garlic, dandelion or nettle. I recommend, especially thosewith onions and garlic, which we have on hand in every kitchen !
The disadvantage of natural means of protection against aphids is the short shelf life of the substance. Prepare them in small portions as needed.
How to prepare a preparation for combating aphids on potted flowers:
Decoction of onion husks- 100 g of onion husks pour 5 liters of water and cook for 30 minutes. The cooled down solution is strained and applied as a foliar spray.
Good to knowThe broth can be stored in a tightly closed jar or bottle for 3-4 months in a dark place. A decoction of onion husks is also effective in the fight against fungal diseases, so it is worth keeping and using it also in the case of plant diseases.
Onion Husk Extract- 100 g of onion husk pour 5 liters of water and set aside for 72-96 hours. After this time, strain the solution and apply undiluted foliar application with a hand sprayer. The extract should be used on an ongoing basis, because its shelf life expires after 24 hours.
Garlic preparations are prepared in a similar way. We can use them alternately with onion preparations. To increase the effectiveness of garlic preparations, the cloves should be peeled and chopped.
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
