How to kill aphids that eat your plants

I have a pretty bad aphid infestation on my red cabbage plants. They are really hurting them, so I used the old dish soap, oil and water formula on them. I know the soap isnt totally chemical free, but I didnt have enough tomato leaves to make a poison from that.
I try to go as organic or natural as possible with my gardening. Chemical free as best I can.
I sprayed them with the mix and a few hours later, they are all dead. So it works. I hope the plants come back.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Aphids
• suck
• literally
• desert
• gardening
• prepping
• food
• production

[HackerGuitarist]

you let it go too far and the soap is not going to keep them away...good luck

[desertprepper1]

@HackerGuitarist

I think you may be right with some of the plants that have them really bad. This does kill them though, and it is taking care of any that are on the other plants that didnt have so many. I do have to check them every day so they dont get out of control again.

The key is to pay more attention to my plants and dont let aphids or other pests get out of hand.

Thanks for watching.

[redberrychick43]

Thanks 4 the tip. About what proportions of soap/oil & water do you use. I had some little black bugs (1st time gradener) around my radish & I mixed a few drops of dish soap & water & sprayed it all down. I did end up pulling the radish because they were all of ready size? But so far~all is clear for that area.

[desertprepper1]

@redberrychick43

I looked online to double check, but it was 2 tablespoons of oil and dish soap, I think..I didnt measure though, just poured about that in a squirt bottle and went to spraying. If you look around online, you will see this kills many types of bugs. You just need to reapply every few days until they are gone. There are some mixes using tomato leaves or garlic that are toxic to all bugs, but thats good bugs too.

No chemicals though. So its safe to eat.

Good luck w/ your garden

[grayv111]

I don't have aphids this year (yet), but when I do, I will use Dawn dishsoap and a tiny bit of white vinegar diluted w/water in a spray bottle... it works very well (for me). I did spot a small hornworm the other day, and MOOSHED it... the bottom leaves of my rutgers tomato were the only things damaged... I have a bunch of those small wood lizards living in the cracks between the 4x4's that I used to build the raised beds... they do a good job of eating the bad bugs too.

[desertprepper1]

@grayv111

I have a bunch of lizards too, and they help out. I dont have aphids on anything but the cabbage. This is my first time growing that. It better get on with growing before it gets too hot.

I go out twice a day in hornworm season, and pick them and the eggs off. The moth lays the eggs under the outermost leaves (easy to get to lazy moth).

I feed the worms to my kids turtle, your chickens will love them as well.

I need to get my chickens going..I need to build their house.

[vaughn1111]

Here in Florida "Sugar Ants" move the aphids around from new growth to new growth. The ants then "milk" the aphids for something the Aphids produce. So we have to deal with the ants. I know it sounds like b.s. but look it up. The ants btw are also termites worse enemy so they are good to have around in that respect.

[seanwilliams8866]

[ DIATOMACEOUS EARTH ] [ DIATOMACEOUS EARTH ] GET SOME AND GET THE FOOD GRADE OK IT WILL GET RID OF THE BUGS AND IT GOOD FOR YOU TO!!

[HackerGuitarist]

@desertprepper1 I would highly recommend some neem spray or concentrate(totally organic ,, home depot , lowes) ... you think you have bugs now ... you may be surprised .... this is the worst year for bugs I have ever seen as far back as I can remember .... I use soap spray every year and it works under normal conditions ,,, but so far this year they laugh at my home made spray and are relentless ..... hopefully things are better in your area ...lol ..for the first time my soap spray fails

[TacticalCitySlicker]

It was an ugly planet....

A BUG planet...

[redberrychick43]

@desertprepper1 Thanks so much! Will definitely give this one a try also. Hope to make a garden video in the next few days. I am pretty happy with my garden results so far~being it is the 1st year I ever do a garden. Take care.