How to Get Rid of Aphids Organically: A Comprehensive Guide
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Aphids, also known greenfly or blackfly are tiny insects which, left unchecked can cause considerable damage to your garden. They feed on the sap of plants, leading to weak and distorted growth, as well as spreading several plant viruses.
Take a holistic, organic approach to controlling aphid infestations without resorting to harsh chemicals. These are some of the best ways we've found to get rid of aphids organically and keep our plants healthy.
1. Introduce Beneficial Insects
One of the most effective natural methods to control aphids is to build up a bountiful population of beneficial insects in your garden. Ladybugs, lacewings, and predatory wasps are excellent aphid predators. You can attract these insects to your garden by planting flowers like calendula or yarrow. Have a look at varieties Calendula 'Pacific Beauty', Calendula 'Ivory Princess' or Achillea (yarrow) 'Colorado Mix' which also make great cut flowers.
2. Recognise Early Signs of Infection
Early intervention is key when it comes to aphids. Aphids are asexual and give birth to live young. Colonies grow phenomenally fast - a mature aphid births between 3 and 10 fully functioning aphids every day. Each aphid baby takes a week to mature and start birthing her own young. It doesn't take long for a couple of aphids to become a full on infestation. The symptoms you need to look out for are:
- Distorted new growth
- White skin castings, scattered under plants
- Ants running across plants
- Sticky leaves or black mold on leaves
Familiarise yourself with these tell tale signs to locate and dispatch of insurgent aphids early.
3. Introduce Companion Planting
Companion planting involves growing certain plants together to either repel pests or attract beneficial insects. You can grow plants like Calendula which will attract beneficial insects or interplant with onions, chives or shallots to deter aphids. We have a lovely selection of onions and shallots such as 'Rossa di Milano' or 'Cuisse de Poulet' which are easy to grow from seed.
4. Physical Removal
If you catch an infestation early, you can phyysically remove aphids from your plants.
- Water Spray: Use a strong jet of water to blast the aphids off your plants. dislodge aphids from your plants. You'll need to repeat the process 2 or 3 times for it to work. This is especially effective on container grown crops. Do this early in the day to avoid tip burn on your plants.
- Hand picking: Squish the aphids with your fingers.
5. Encourage Healthy Soil
Healthy soil is the foundation of a robust garden. Aphids tend to target weak and stressed plants, so having a healthy, biologically active soil will help reduce infestations. Use homemade composts and well rotted manure as a mulch. Grow green manures and a wide diversity of crops to promote a healthy soil microbiome and healthy plants.
6. Get Your Plants Off to a Good Start
Aphids target stressed plants so treat your seedlings well. Ensure they don't become pot bound before planting, water them in well and keep new plantings well watered. Consider foliar feeding plants which look a bit down in the dumps. Foliar feeds like seaweed feed are much more effective than root feeding - you'll see results in a matter of days.
7. Sacrificial Crops and Plant Trap Crops
A sacrificial crop is planted to attract aphids away from your vegetable and flower crops. Nasturtiums are brilliant at attracting blackfly in particular. Once they are infested with aphids, you can remove and compost the plants, helping to keep your gardens' aphid population in check. Try our Nasturtium 'Kaleidoscope' for a trailing plants and flowers in a - yes you've guessed it - kaleidoscope of colours.
A Healthy Garden
You can keep aphids to a minimum in your garden by focusing on creating a healthy, balanced garden ecosystem. We would avoid against using 'natural' products like neem oil which are often recommended to organic gardeners. Although these are natural in origin, they are a broad spectrum insecticide which affect beneficial insects and pollinators such as bees. Your best bet is to build up your population of beneficial insects, improve your soil and seedling health and plant sacrificial crops to distract aphids. Remember to keep an eye out for tell tale signs of an aphid infestation and take prompt action.