Food-Gardening Lessons From A Wartime Victory Garden

How Do I Manage Aphids Without Chemicals?

“How to keep aphids away each gardening season without chemicals?” Question from Steven of New England

Answer: Aphids are delicate pests and quite easy to manage, believe it or not. When I have an infestation, I use these four pesticide-free methods of removal.

1. Spray them off with a sharp stream from your hose. This actually removes them fast and will kill quite a few. It’s a good first step for management.

2. Prune off really badly infested flowers or stems and place them in soapy water. This will remove damaged parts of the plant and greatly reduce aphid populations.

3. Spray plants with OMRI Listed insecticidal soap to tackle any lingering aphids. This mild product is approved for organic gardening and will kill aphids fast. If you are worried about it harming other insects, you can rinse off plants a few hours after application.

4. Nurture ladybugs, and other beneficial insects that comsume aphids, in your garden. Refrain from using any harsh pesticides, and the beneficials will come. (Click here to read more about beneficial insects.)

I hope these tips help you better manage your aphid problems. They are annoying insects, but they won’t stand a chance if you continue with these methods.

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

About JESSIE KEITH

Plants are the lens Jessie views the world through because they’re all-sustaining. (“They feed, clothe, house and heal us. They produce the air we breathe and even make us smell pretty.”) She’s a garden writer and photographer with degrees in both horticulture and plant biology from Purdue and Michigan State Universities. Her degrees were bolstered by internships at Longwood Gardens and the American Horticultural Society. She has since worked for many horticultural institutions and companies and now manages communications for Sun Gro Horticulture, the parent company of Black Gold. Her joy is sharing all things green and lovely with her two daughters.

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