Whether in the GreenBox, a planter or the balcony box: There it stands, your green pride and joy: The petunia has just started to bloom or the cucumber is just forming its first fruits. And something doesn't fit into the picture: Black flies scurry through the picture. Or the table on which the GreenBox is standing is suddenly so sticky, including the petunia itself. You take a closer look and discover ... an extended family of aphids!
If one decides - as we at BERLIN GREEN do - to grow plants without pesticides, an infestation of so-called "pests" can never be completely ruled out. This series of insects, which bring us gardeners no benefit, but rather harm, can destroy our work and patience in a short time. Attracted by the juice of our green favorites, they eat them or suck them until the plants eventually die.
Aphids & Co
Who you are dealing with
Hardly any flower is immune from an invasion of aphids. These pear-shaped insects, up to 4 mm long, occur not only in green, but in many different colors, e.g. orange, pink, white, brown or black. The larvae of the so-called white fly can also be dangerous to our plants, because like aphids they feed on the sap of the plants, which leads to their weakening and death. Whiteflies lay their eggs mainly on the underside of the leaf.
Aphids like whitefly larvae need proteins to survive. By extracting the sap from the flowers and leaves of our beloved plants, they literally suck up the plants' life energy. But since the plant sap contains more sugar than protein, they must drink large amounts of it to keep themselves adequately supplied. They then excrete the excess sugar again as "honeydew". This is the sticky coating on the substrate and leaves.
Every plant lover should also have had to deal with fungus gnats. These are the tiny black flies that rise when you water your plants or have come into contact with the planter. Here, too, the larvae are the problem, which feed on the young roots of the plants.
If the pests find good conditions, which should be the case in our cherished gardens, then multiply extremely quickly. Therefore, eyes open when admiring our green friends - which includes their underside of the leaves! So we can intervene in time if the worst comes to the worst.
What helps against insect pests?
It is crucial to act as quickly as possible to prevent further growth of the insect pest population.
Against these so-called pests, the market has many chemical clubs ready. But there is another way, because many of the pests can also be driven away with natural means. Thus, on the one hand, we protect the environment from further contamination by toxic chemicals, especially since for some methods we do not even need repellent substances. On the other hand, self-produced pest control agents are likely to be significantly cheaper.
Quick help with yellow boards?
The use of so-called yellow boards can certainly be regarded as efficient. However, from an ecological point of view, it should be viewed with extreme skepticism. Yellow panels are yellow plastic discs that are placed near the substrate surface and attract insects there with color and scents. Attracted, they then stick to the surface, which is sticky at the same time, and die there. However, especially on the balcony or in the open field or greenhouse is not advisable to use yellow boards, because on them not only pests, but also beneficial insects die.
In case of advanced infestation by pests
It looks like parts of your favorites are already completely weakened in the clutches of pests? Then we advise to cut off the infested parts and dispose of them as soon as possible, even if the gardener's heart aches. Now you can take care of the rest of the plant, or the substrate in which it grows, because probably adult animals are hiding all over the plant, and their larvae may be in the substrate.
Substrate preparation
In the course of their production, our PlantPlugs are heated to such an extent that any eggs that may be present in them are killed. Aphids, black flies or white flies in the GreenBox must therefore have reached your protégés from the outside. This happens either because a plant already infested by insect pests is nearby or because vagrant insects have found their way onto your balcony or through an open window to your GreenBox or your planters.
If you use soil of unknown origin for a new planting, it is recommended to pretreat it thermally, because pests or their eggs do not survive this process. We advise to spread the potting soil to be used on a baking tray (not higher than 2.5 cm) and bake it at 200° C for about 20 minutes. Do not bring into contact with the plants until cooled.
Manual procedure
If the plant is infested with a manageable number of individuals, we can remove the aphids or beetles individually.
Use of beneficial insects
Indoor gardening is further complicated by the fact that insect pests are unlikely to encounter natural predators indoors. Outside on the balcony or in the garden, it is much more likely that beneficial insects such as ladybugs, ichneumon wasps, pileated flies or hoverflies will get to them. Earwigs also see aphids as a special treat. So if you discover such beneficial insects around your plants, let them do their thing, because their presence is a very good sign!
So-called nematodes have proven to be extremely effective against fungus gnats: These "Steinernema feltiae" nematodes (also known as SF nematodes), which are barely visible to the naked eye, are available in powder form, are briefly dissolved in water and then poured onto the infested substrate. The tiny animals do not harm the plant, but they feed on the larvae of the fungus gnat.
Culture of companion plants:
To continue to defend ourselves against pests outdoors or on the balcony, we can make use of so-called companion plants for fragrant protection or to attract the aforementioned natural predators. If we humans find the scent of the essential oils of many plants mostly pleasant, it has a deterrent effect on aphids, mosquitoes, wasps or ants.
Particularly effective against aphids have shown lavender and deliciously hearty spice savory. Good services against pests also perform the following plants:
Basil, dill, sage, parsley, fennel, chives, thyme, oregano or coriander. While hoverflies are magically attracted to the flowers of dill, cornflowers and marigolds attract hatchlings.
With these substances you defend yourself against fungus gnats:
Matches against fungus gnats
Against infestation of fungus gnat larvae in the plant substrate helps sulfur contained in the head of a match. This gradually dissolves in the irrigation water and kills the larvae, but does not harm the plants. Simply insert 1 unburned match about 2 cm deep into 1 infested PlantPlug and replace after about 14 days. For larger pot diameters, use more matches accordingly.
What helps against vampires ...
Also, the components of garlic, so healthy for humans, have the opposite effect on the larvae of fungus gnats: peel and divide 1 clove of garlic into several parts and sink them into the infested substrate. Accordingly, more cloves for larger planters.
Caffeinated coffee grounds
Put the dried set of caffeinated coffee on the substrate surface and work it into the substrate a little. It is important here to let the coffee grounds dry thoroughly once before mixing to avoid the formation of mold.
Decoctions against aphids and whitefly larvae
Against the infestation of aphids or whitefly larvae, we can spray our plants with various mixtures, some of which will be presented here.
For all treatments with the following brews applies:
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The ideal time for treatment - in the morning. So the plant has enough time to dry.
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Leaves should not be sprayed at times of strong sunlight, as the water droplets can act like tiny lenses that can focus sunlight on the plant in such a way as to cause burn marks on the leaves.
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Also spray the undersides of the leaves!
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Rain washes off (more the upper than the lower sides of the leaves!). If necessary, re-treat!
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Use the mixtures in good doses; their composition may sound harmless to humans, but above a certain concentration they mean stress for the delicate membranes of our plants.
Caffeine: What makes us awake has a fatal effect on aphids
If caffeine enters the body of aphids through inhalation or touch, it has a lethal effect. So after you've made your morning pick-me-up, pour the coffee grounds a second time with boiling water and let it cool in it. Pass the cold brew through a sieve and pour it into a spray bottle and spray the infested areas and lower leaf sides. (The desired effect cannot be achieved by decaffeinated coffee).
Caustic soda
Another recipe for ecologically sound treatment against insect pests is a lye made from water and baking soda.
Recipe for about 1 liter of sodium hydroxide solution
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½ teaspoon baking soda in
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Dissolve 1 liter of boiling water,
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cool and pour into a spray bottle
Neem oil
Neem oil is extracted from the seeds of the neem tree, which is native to subcontinental Asia. Due to its antiviral properties, it is also used in natural medicine.
Neem oil supports the fermentation partnership in the fight against various pests, including aphids, spider mites and larvae.
Neem oil mixture for hardy plants
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10 ml neem oil on
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1 liter of water.
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Put both ingredients in a spray bottle and shake very well before each treatment.
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For soft-leaved plants (e.g. cucumbers), a mixing ratio of 5 ml neem oil to 1 liter of water is recommended.
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The interval between treatments should be 4 - 5 days.
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In the doses used, neem oil is completely safe for human consumption. However, the oil contains bitter substances. Therefore, fruits or leaves intended for consumption should be washed before preparation.
Harder bandages:
Ecological soap suds
Basic recipe for approx. 1 liter of lubricating or bile soap suds:
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Grind 30 g of solid lubricating soap or bile soap a little, put it into a container
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Add 1 liter of boiling water (this is the best way to dissolve the soap).
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Stir the lye until the soap has dissolved
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Pour the cooled lye undiluted into a spray bottle
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After treatment, it is best to store the lye in the refrigerator
The secret ingredient:
The lye alone did not achieve the hoped-for effect even on the second try? Try it with
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1 tablespoon high-proof alcohol (Prima Sprit or vodka) to
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1 liter soap suds
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Shake well in the spray bottle.
A trace of rapeseed oil against pests:
Mild for the environment and tough on aphids & co is treatment with a mixture of rapeseed oil and water. If the affected areas are sprayed with the watered-down rapeseed oil, the grease covers the insects like a film. This prevents the pests from absorbing oxygen.
Recipe for about 250 ml of canola oil mixture:
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50 ml rapeseed oil and
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200 ml cold water
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into a spray bottle,
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shake very well before each use!
We wish you success in the fight against unwanted pests and the best harvest from your indoor and outdoor garden!