Let Your Garden Grow – Organic Aphid Control
October 15th, 2009 Posted in Ornamental & Lawn Pests
While your reputation in suburbia relies on how well your children behave and the prestige of your gardening skills (displayed through your front lawn arrangement), the real truth is, you can only control one of those things.
Sorry, Moms, it’s not your kids.
Raising children and cultivating a garden are incredibly similar in some aspects. You have to put in copious amounts of time, attentiveness, and absolute love to ensure their survival. But if only you could just spray something on your kids when something begins to affect their health, just as you do to your garden and plants, when they begin to suffer from usually overlooked predators.
One of the many predators are aphids, unsightly sap suckers that have proven themselves to be the gardener’s sworn enemy. Why are they your enemy, and how can you control them without putting your family at risk?
This article will cover:
What You Need to be Protected From
You know what aphids are, you know what aphids look like, and you’re now involving yourself in their premeditated murder. But do you really know what they do to your plants?
They are literally sap suckers. Aphids drain the sap from your plants causing the leaves and stems to become mutated, and if there is continued growth, it is typically distorted.
The usual symptoms of an aphid-infected plant are of the following:
- Stunted growth
- Turning yellow (pretty color, but not cool for plants that aren’t supposed to be)
- Turning brown (never a pretty color for a plant)
- Poor development
That’s just naming a few, and of course, lack of aphid control ultimately leads in the death of the plant and infestation of the neighboring plants. So before your infested plant dies, control the aphids—organically.
Putting Your Protection On: Organic Aphid Control
It’s possible to spray your plants and not have to evacuate (although, your aphids will). Just use organic aphid control.
EcoSMART’s Garden Insect Killer is an organic pesticide that is chemical-free. In fact, it was created to keep homes (i.e. you, children and pets) safe and gardens aphid-free.
Isn’t that refreshing to hear? Whenever buying pesticides, it’s almost a reflex to turn over and look for the disclaimer, telling you what’s going to happen if you don’t follow the specified directions.
However, on EcoSMART organic pesticides, you don’t have to search for the side effect notifier. On the front, in a bright red sticker, it says a (good) 4-letter word, in all caps, that just warms your heart as a parent: SAFE.
Thanks to organic aphid control, those aphids will never bother your garden again, and you’ll never have to worry about your kids or pets developing asthma or chemical poisoning from pesticides.
By Adelia Mohan
16 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!
By Deb Hilton on Oct 23, 2009
If everyone practiced organtic gardening, our water supply wouldn’t dwindle as quickly.
By Jean Cole on Oct 23, 2009
Aphids have been a periodic problem. It seems as if your plants are doing fine one week, then the next week you see white spots all over and wonder what’s going on. They spread quickly, moving from one plant to another. I would use an organic product that is safe to use near children or pets.
By Jim on Oct 24, 2009
This looks like it’d be a great thing to try until I’m able to wrangle me a bunch of ladybugs.
Of course, with my luck, the birds will get them
By Barbra Mutchler on Oct 24, 2009
I also try to encourage ladybugs in my garden. They are natural aphid killers too.
By Karen Schurr on Oct 24, 2009
I have always had a problem with aphids. I have tried to spray them off with water and that hardly works. I bought a praying mantis egg case and lady bugs. The mantis eggs never hatched.
By Robin on Oct 24, 2009
We have had a TERRIBLE time with Aphids the last three years on our Apple tree. We finally got apples last year but they were the ugliest apples ever seen. I went on the internet to see how to get rid of them safely. I found out that the ants that have taken up residence in a HUGE hill near the tree were making the problem worse. The more ants the more Aphids. I put double sided tape on the bottom of the tree and that helped until it rained the next day. I cut the limbs with the Aphids and drown them. But I could not get them all. I dumped HOT water on the ant hill and that helped a little. Needless to say the apples were bad again this year. So if there is help out there I would appreciate it. I have a daycare in my home and so I choose not to use pesticides. Not sure how to get ladybugs to come live here.
By misty walker on Oct 24, 2009
I am so glad to read about ways to not have to use insecticides. thank you very much…………….
By Betty on Oct 24, 2009
I would like to find a product for house plants that have been outside for the summer and need to bring in for the winter. I would like to spray them for spiders and I just brought in my hibicus and it had a baby roach. I am starting to see one often thru the house. I also have a pet parrot and would like to keep it green for him and us.
thank you
By Carla on Oct 24, 2009
Very interesting products. As a mother of small children, living in a home with our pets, and growing our own small garden, I am always looking for pet/children safe products for use in my yard & garden.
By Renee Mackins on Oct 24, 2009
This year was our first attempt at having a small vegetable garden. Needless to say, our harvest was less than satisfying. The aphids and ants literally ate up the plants and killed them all except the tomato plants. We have a dog and children in our yard also. We would like info on anything that can help with the aphid and ant situation yet not be harmful to animals and humans. Thanks!!!
By Teresa on Oct 25, 2009
I almost find it impossible to contain the aphids in my plants. I want to start growing a indoor herb garden. But, I also need to find a environmentally safe way to protect not only my plants. But also, my family and from what I have read from your website. Your product might be the way to do it. I would love to test your product and see. Thanks, for the very informative website. Here in colorado we have the beetles, the ticks, and all other pesky problems.
Thanks,
Teresa
By Kelsey Breaux on Oct 25, 2009
I just wish ladybugs would stay in the garden! They (along with a few flies and stinkbugs) started infesting my dorm last weekend. Why do they do this? I really need something to help me get rid of them.
By Renae on Oct 25, 2009
I would love to test your product and be able to win a product to try it out. We need more products like this to help our planet.
By Greer on Oct 25, 2009
Aphids have been a problem in this area. I have also encouraged ladybugs in my garden and on the difficult areas used Diatomaceous Earth.
By Theresa on Oct 25, 2009
I also use a good blast of hose water to shoot them off periodically … or my fingers are good at smooooooshing them (pretty yucky if there is a huge population of themm, though).
By Marshal on Apr 21, 2010
My Evergreen Pear tree is getting apihds. I have two Labs and try to avoid using pesticides. I also have several fruit trees, so i would like a product that i don’t have to worry about if i need to spray on the fruit tress as well.