Help me clear my aphid problem!

[Emily]

Patches of my poor little vegie garden are slowly being taken over by aphids. They got to my potted mint first, so I read on the internet that spraying them with very weaky soapy water should kill them but perhaps I mixed the soap too strong.... long story short I might be the first person ever to have killed not only one but TWO mint plants.

They've appeared on a few other plants now as well so I'm hoping not to make the same mistake twice. I'd prefer to avoid industrial pesticides if possible, but if there's a vegie-friendly option I might consider it.

[Wayne]

Here are some natural organic methods of getting rid of Aphids
http://www.naturallivingideas.com/12-organic-ways-get-rid-aphids/

[Andy_Mann]

@Emily

Good ol' Gardening Australia to the rescue, a homemade White Oil:

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s2281115.htm

[greygardener]

@Emily

How many do you have? The best natural approach is to remove them by hand. Just pop some gloves on, pull them off and drop them into a bucket of soapy water. It takes a bit of time and patience but isn't difficult. 

[Matty]

Just remember one dose isn't going to kill them, you need to be consistent with the spray over a number of weeks.

[Jason]

Thanks for joining in the discussion and sharing your experience @Matty. Great to see you make your first post on Workshop. Welcome! I'm looking forward to reading about your own projects and plans soon. 

Jason

[Emily]

Thanks everyone! I might try a mixture of the above - trying to pick as many off as possible and then giving them a spray every week or so with some home-made aphid spray.
Will keep you updated in my battle against the little green suckers!

[Andy_Mann]

@Emily

I found this, on a site that I only discovered about a week ago:

http://www.hometalk.com/17441683/3-household-items-to-keep-your-garden-pests-at-bay?se=wkly-20160618...

I was impressed that the author mentioned composting to ensure strong plants, which makes them less attractive to pests.

A good read, & site for ideas.

[QuailFlock]

True, @Andy_Mann, only weak plants attract pests.
So @Emily, you probably did not kill the mints but they were on their way out anyway. If you leave their roots intact, the mint will spring back soon. Hope this makes you feel better!

Be persistent with home-make organic pest control remedies. They are not poisonous and therefore you will need to apply more frequent. Also overhead watering or rain will wash off the remedy, you may need to re-apply after raining.
And don't forget to apply to the back of the leaves to kill all the aphids that are hiding and their eggs.

Good luck and happy gardening!

[Andy_Mann]

@QuailFlock

Agree completely, especially about cutting the mint right back, & leaving the root system intact. It's been my experience that plants come back better than ever after a good cut back.

@Emily

Ensure that you use sharp & clean secateurs, & I guarantee, you will have a bumper crop in no time. An initial watering around the plants with compost tea, Seasol, or diluted worm casting tea will help them get over the shock.