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In the spring, a young man's thoughts may turn to love. But a dedicated home gardener has other things in mind - like killing that nastiest of garden insects: the aphid.
Go ahead, check those chrysanthemums, peek at that petunia, rub that rose - the odds favor seeing tiny aphids sucking away to their heart's content. There are 4,000-plus types of aphids, so numerous that they are commonly known as "plant lice." For the home gardener, you should care less about identifying what type you have. Most share several characteristics anyway. For one, aphids emerge early in the growing season to attack tender foliage, clustering on the tips of leaves and stems. For another, aphids have sucking mouth parts, sucking out fluids from tender new growth and injecting toxins that can cause leaves to wilt and plants to lose vigor. While their feeding does not often kill plants, it can significantly weaken them. Plants may also develop yellow leaves and distorted stems and fruit. Aphids also excrete large amounts of a substance called "honeydew," which is a sweet, syrup-like material. That's why whenever sticky leaves are to be found, aphids are almost sure to be found, too. This sticky substance also lands on pavement, cars and other surfaces. Black sooty mold may grow on this honeydew substance. It is not only unsightly, but reduces the amount of sunlight reaching leaves and, therefore, can affect the plant itself. Honeydew also attracts insects like ants, which will fiercely defend their honeydew "factories" against all natural predators. Insecticides, such as malathion, isotox and diazinon, are all effective against aphids, as well as other soft-bodied insects. You might, however, want to consider a home remedy first. For example, if the infestation is in the early stages, a strong stream of plain water may be sufficient. A simple soap spray is also popular among organic gardeners. This soap spray can consist of one or two teaspoons of Ivory Liquid, Shaklee's Basic H or Tide mixed with a gallon of warm water. There are also pre-mixed insecticidal soaps on the market. Such sprays have proven effective as long as one keeps after the little devils. The soap normally does not remain effective as long as regular insecticides. Other organic sprays might include pyrethrum, onions, garlic, hot peppers, rhubarb or tomato leaves. A combination of several of these can result in an effective solution. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Aphid Time in California Gardening is owned by . Permission to republish Aphid Time in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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