Pests that appear in early spring quickly spread, capturing more and more new plantings in search of food. If you do not take any measures to combat parasites, you can completely lose the harvest of fruit and vegetable crops affected by the invasion. Aphids are no less dangerous for ornamental plants. Hordes of insects sucking plant juices destroy young shoots, leaves, buds and flowers of roses, petunias, violets, orchids, fuchsia and other garden and indoor plants.
The use of pesticides is only advisable on crops not intended for human consumption.For example, treating indoor or garden rose bushes in the spring with a solution of the drug “Aktara”, “Commander”, “Corado”, “Confidor”, “Fufan”, etc., will create effective protection for several weeks and destroy pests and their larvae.
The same insecticides can be safely used for spraying trees and bushes after leaf fall in the fall or before buds open in early spring, without fear of the accumulation of toxic substances in future fruits. But it makes sense to treat plantings of cucumbers or cabbage, as well as grapes, currants and cherries during active fruiting only with biological agents, the components of which do not accumulate in the fruits.
The most effective folk remedies against aphids
Celandine decoction
All parts of the plant contain alkaloids, phytoncides and essential oils that are harmful to aphids. It is not for nothing that celandine, which has undoubted medicinal properties, is still classified as a poisonous plant.
A biological agent for treating seedlings for the purpose of preventing and exterminating pests is prepared as follows: cut 2-3 celandine bushes (along with roots) with pruning shears, pour 2 liters of boiling water over the biomass, simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, leave for 24 hours and filter. All manipulations with the plant are carried out with gloves, and after finishing the treatment, wash your hands thoroughly with soap.
Infusion of ash with soap
The fireproof residue or ash has powerful antiseptic, antifungal, insecticidal and disinfectant properties. The soapy film covering the aboveground part of the plants, after the solution dries, prevents the normal breathing of insects and their larvae.That is why the ash-soap infusion helps in a short time to get rid of aphids that have settled on any crops.
A liter jar of ash should be filled with half a bucket of hot water, let it brew overnight, strain through cheesecloth, add 50 g of grated laundry soap (72%) dissolved in a small amount of hot water and bring the volume of liquid to 10 liters.
Infusion of marigolds
Biological methods of controlling aphids include planting marigolds along the perimeter of the beds or in the tree trunks of problematic garden crops (under apple trees, pears, cherries, viburnums, peaches, currant bushes, etc.). Volatile compounds released into the air from flowers and leaves of the plant, which have a pungent odor, repel aphids from plantings and minimize their spread in the garden. According to reviews from experienced gardeners, marigolds exhibit an excellent repellent effect and look organic in different parts of the site due to their long flowering (from May to November).
Helps in the prevention and destruction of aphids and marigold infusion. All parts of the plant contain sulfur compounds, alkaloids and essential oil, which contains about 40% tagetone. These substances have poisonous properties for parasites, but quickly decompose in the environment without penetrating into the filling fruits. To prepare a homemade insecticide, you can use both fresh marigold bushes and dried raw materials prepared from last season.
For a bucket of warm water you will need 0.5 kg of fresh herbs, chopped together with flowers, or 100 g of dried marigold mass. It takes about 48 hours to infuse the product under the lid.Before pouring into a garden spray bottle, filter the infusion and add 40 g of any liquid soap or detergent that fixes the biological insecticide on the leaves of problem plants.
Treatment of plants with the listed means is done several times (at least three). The interval between irrigations is 2-3 days, depending on the degree of damage to seedlings by aphids. The last spraying is carried out no later than 3 days before harvest. This recommendation is mandatory when using aqueous extracts from poisonous celandine.
Let your plants in your summer cottage delight you with stable growth and abundant fruiting every summer!
