Gardeners and gardeners have to work hard to protect their plantings from pests and get a good harvest. From early spring, young shoots begin to attack aphids. For her there are no barriers and borders. With the same zeal, it will propagate on garden weeds, roses, cabbage, apple trees and currants. It usually settles on the underside of leaves, and also sticks to tender young shoots. Today we will focus on the fight against this pest insect using a simple and affordable means.
What is aphid
This is a small sucking insect up to 22 mm in size. They are green, red or black. Leaf and shoot aphids are always located in colonies, which is its main danger to plants. A few tiny creatures will not be able to do tangible harm. But hundreds and thousands of aphids suck juices from fresh shoots, drying and destroying them. In addition, it secretes the stomata of the leaf with its secretions, preventing it from breathing. Often gardeners use aphid soap solution, noting that this is a safe and effective way to deal with pests.
Carrier of infections
Few people know that aphids are such a dangerous insect. This is the main carrier of various viral infections that cause gall formations on the leaves. These are hard growths on the leaves that weaken the entire plant, which can lead to its death. Everything else aphids are very fond of garden ants. They themselves breed it and transfer it to trees after winter from their holes. Therefore, it is necessary to fight ants at the same time. Aphid soap solution is best for this.
Is it difficult to get rid of pests
At first glance, this is not at all difficult. Tiny insects do not have any protection mechanisms, shell or suction cups, so they can simply be washed off with the pressure of water from a hose. Getting rid of them is simple enough. Soap solution from aphids is very suitable. But the difficulty is that the bred insects hide in twisted leaves. In this case, it becomes very difficult to remove them, even spraying the tree with modern pesticides.
How to determine the defeat
If you regularly inspect your landings, you will not be able to miss the changes that occur with them. Leaves and tops are bent, shoots do not grow, which means that you need to look for a reason. The aphid poses the greatest danger to young and immature plants. But even large trees are not sweet. The insect is very prolific, it quickly and massively multiplies. Every two weeks a new generation is born. The female lays 150-200 larvae at a time. Therefore, the population is growing at a fantastic speed, and the struggle with it involves tremendous effort.
So, be sure to pay attention to the following symptoms:
- If the underside of the leaves has changed color, it is covered with a pad.
- White scales on the ground, near the plant. These are the shells that the insect discharges. With a large population, it is almost impossible not to notice them.
- Aphids are very fond of ants. If they started scurrying around the plant, then you need to prepare for the fight. Right now a soap solution against aphids can help best.
- Leaves curl and turn yellow. Be sure to inspect them for pests.
- Undeveloped and twisted buds are also direct evidence of insect activity.
Prevention
The sooner you start the fight against harmful insects, the more effective it will be. It is best to process the tree on time in April, when the foliage is just starting to bloom. At this time, the soap solution from aphids helps in the best way possible. It allows you to protect the tree from creeping along the trunks of ants, which are carriers of aphids. Therefore, by processing in advance, you will save not only your crop, but also the health of the tree itself.
Thus, the trunk and branches will need to be processed for the first time in April, when the leaves are just beginning to bloom on the leaves. Of course, aphids are dangerous not only for fruit trees, but at this time of year there are still no cucumbers and cabbage on the beds that you can profit from. An additional protection in the month of April are special collars that help prevent the movement of ants along the trunk. This is an additional protection in case the water with soap dries and loses its effect.
Folk methods of struggle
If you decide to give up chemicals on your garden plot, then get ready for the fact that you will have to spend much more time on it. For example, a systemic insecticide allows you to completely get rid of pests with guaranteed protection for 2-3 months. That is, one treatment can provide all summer without insects. But folk remedies do not destroy insects and their larvae, they have only a deterrent effect. Therefore, they must be used at least three times in a row, with an interval of not more than 5-7 days. Further on if necessary, but be prepared for the fact that during the season you will have to return to processing more than once.
Hygiene on guard
The most famous tool is a soap solution for combating aphids. How does such a familiar and affordable tool help get rid of the pest? The fact is that treatment with a soap solution helps to create a special film on the entire surface of the plant. From this time, the plant becomes inedible for aphids. Of course, any rain and watering will destroy this coating, and the work will need to be started again. But soap does not harm the plant at all and does not affect the formation of fruits. You get environmentally friendly fruits and vegetables.
Difficult choice
Now let's talk in more detail about how to prepare a soap solution from aphids. Most often it is recommended to use it, referring to the high alkali content. In fact, this fact is not leading, since any soap can disrupt the nutrition of the insect and thereby lead to its death or migration.
If you do not plan to add anything else to the solution, then you should carefully consider the type of soap used. Pay attention to varieties that have a pronounced disinfectant and antibacterial effect.
- Normal, household. The cheapest option. If it gets on insects, it can cause their death.
- Tar. Soap-ash solution from aphids, supplemented with birch tar, is a potent tool for eliminating garden pests.
- Green soap. It is sold in specialized summer stores. This gel-like substance is essentially an insecticide.
Toilet soap
A fine-smelling bar of soft pink or blue soap is the worst option. Firstly, its cost is quite high. Secondly, all the flavors and dyes that are used in its composition are not at all useful for your plants. Moreover, after rain all this will fall into the soil, and then absorbed by the roots of plants. As a result, you harm yourself even more than using modern insecticides.
Classic aphid soap solution
The proportions may vary slightly, but exceeding the concentration of soap, in the hope that this will increase efficiency, is not recommended. So, if you use laundry soap, then you will need to dissolve 300 g in 10 liters of water. It is rubbed or finely planed and dissolved in a bucket of water. If you decide to use liquid soap, it is recommended to add 125 g per ten liters of water. The solution needs to spray all parts of the plant, especially paying attention to the places of accumulation of insects.
Flower processing
If roses grow on your site, then you probably had to deal with the attack of these greedy insects on them. They like to stick around the buds, feeding on its delicate juice. As a result, the flower blooms defectively or completely dries. The soap solution from aphids on roses works flawlessly. To increase its effectiveness, experienced gardeners recommend adding wood ash to it.
To prepare, you will need three liters of water and half a glass of grated soap, a glass of ash or charcoal. It is necessary to leave the solution for 6 hours so that it can be infused. Now strain and you can start processing. It is recommended to repeat the treatment at least three times.
Defend Cucumbers
This culture is attacked by these small pests very often. And it is visible to the naked eye. The leaves wither, the whips fall, you no longer have to wait for fruits from such a plant. The soap solution from aphids on cucumbers proved to be very good, therefore, all gardeners recommend each other to use it. For cooking, you will need the previous base, three liters of water and 0.5 cups of soap. To ensure that insects are guaranteed to leave the garden alone, 100 g of ground tobacco is added to the solution. Mix all the ingredients and leave for two days to brew well. After this, be sure to mix and strain. Now the solution is ready to use. It is perfect for processing vegetables and fruit crops. Very well established in practice.
Berry bushes
The aphid is an insidious insect. If he has a chance to breed in a garden plot, then he systematically captures the entire territory. Continuing the theme of using folk remedies to control pests, I want to say separately about the processing of berry bushes. The soap solution from aphids on currants is prepared in a slightly different way. There is a secret ingredient called soda. To prepare the solution, you will need to take a liter of warm water and a tablespoon of soda ash, as well as 50 g of grated soap. All components must be mixed thoroughly and shaken. Leave on for 5-6 hours and strain off the rest.
Instead of a conclusion
Any soapy solution is applied by spraying. The most effective way is an intensive course of treatments with an interval of 1-2 days for two weeks. But it is quite time consuming. Therefore, there is the following scheme, which is used when there are not too many insects. Spraying is performed 2-3 times a week. After that, observe the plants for 5-6 days. If the aphid has returned, then the treatment will need to be repeated. Do not forget that rainfall instantly deprives your garden of protection. And aphids, in addition to being transported by ants, can fly and crawl on their own. Therefore, if you do not use modern insecticides, then a walk around and a thorough inspection of the garden will have to be done regularly. The absence of pests today does not guarantee the same tomorrow.