Aphids comes from the Aphididae Family. They are incredibly common sap suckers and as they feed they can spread diseases and weaken the strength of your plants. They also reproduce a lot faster in the warmer months.
To prevent them, try planting flowers like alyssum and borage around the garden as these help attract insects that will prey on aphids. Marigolds can also help repel them, but if it’s too late and you need to rid yourself of them, try our DIY recipe.
DIY Aphid Spray
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Green Goddess Premium Baking Soda in hot water and then add 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid (I use Green Goddess Hemp & Coconut Unscented Castile Soap), 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of liquid plant food. Shake well to combine.
Add this mixture to 5 litres of water and spray every two days for a week and then every two weeks as a maintenance dose.
Store out of the heat.
*Side note: If you see ants in the midst of your aphids and are hopeful they are helping get rid of them, sadly they’re not. Ants love the sweet sappy stuff that aphids leave behind, not the aphids themselves, so in effect the two are working together.
An easy way to get rid of ants is to mix borax with honey and leave in their path, just make sure that this isn’t accessible to bees (put under foliage).
Triona
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