As city dwellers, my husband and I had big dreams of owning a small piece of land where we could grow our own fresh vegetables and spend summer nights cooking a true farm-to-table meal together. As food lovers and local farmer’s market junkies, what could be more satisfying than feasting on the fruits of our own labor?
So when we moved to the Columbia Gorge a few years ago, we got to work right away on creating our garden paradise. We spent countless hours removing sod and building and preparing our raised beds, ensuring we had just the right mix of organic matter and soil so our plants had all the necessary nutrients. In late spring, we germinated our seeds in trays under grow lights in our garage, checking them daily to ensure they had the right amount of water and light and that the temperature was just right.
That first summer we waited with eager anticipation as we watched our little seedlings sprout and the first leaves of broccoli, kale, and brussel sprouts emerged. The culmination of months of love and energy given to these plants was finally coming to fruition! We were as proud as if these baby seedlings were our own children.
But before long, we started noticing some small problems starting to appear. First an emerging leaf curling here. Then a few tiny holes surfaced on another leaf there. Within a few weeks, a colony of pests had taken over our precious brassicas. It was the dreaded aphid. Few creatures conjure up such feelings of frustration among gardeners far and wide as this tiny pest. One day you spot one feeding on the underside of a leaf and within a mere few days or weeks you might have a full on infestation!
These tiny, oval to pear-shaped insects come in a variety of species, some with wings and some without. They range in color from pale yellow to dark black, often taking on the coloring of their host plants, which makes them difficult to spot early on. They can infest a wide variety of plants including many vegetables, fruits and ornamental plants and trees.
Why are these pests so infuriating? Aphids feed on new growth which can compromise the health of the plant. They leave behind a sticky, sweet secretion called honeydew that is not only a real nuisance — try spending an afternoon removing honeydew from your deck — it can also enable the growth of black mold. To make matters worse, the honeydew often attracts other pests such as ants or flies. And once aphids arrive, they are difficult to manage. They can reproduce multiple generations in one season, which means a colony can build up and take over quickly!
So what’s a gardener to do? As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. First, strive to ensure your plants are healthy as healthy plants are better able to stave off aphids than stressed plants. Ensure your plants have the proper amount of sunlight, water and nutrients and avoid over-fertilizing.
Consider making your garden hospitable to natural aphid predators such as beetles, ladybugs or green lace wings. Introduce plants that attract these predators such as spearmint, sweet alyssum, flowering buckwheat, crimson clover, or Queen Anne’s lace, to name a few. Make sure to avoid any broad spectrum pesticides which can kill off these predators inadvertently.
Taking these steps can help keep the aphids at bay before they take a hold of your plants. But if you have already found aphids in your garden, don’t fret. There are a few tried and true methods to manage them.
If you are able to spot aphids early on, before a full infestation has occurred, simply spraying your plants with a forceful stream of water can be an effective way of ridding your plants of these pests. Be sure to do this carefully when dealing with delicate young plants, which could be damaged by too high of water pressure. You can also put on gardening gloves and pick off the young aphids by hand or prune off entire aphid infested stems or leaves. Knock them into a bucket of warm soapy water to ensure they are dead before disposing of them. The last thing you want is to accidentally create an aphid infestation in your compost bin!
If that doesn’t work, try using a natural or organic spray. Some have success with a homemade mix of pure liquid soap and water. Simply apply with a spray bottle directly onto the aphids and make sure to fully soak the underside of leaves where eggs and young larvae tend to hide. While the soap kills the aphids by dissolving their protective outer layer, it doesn’t harm birds or beneficial insects. Another option that has worked particularly well for us is neem oil. You will want to dilute the neem oil in water, as instructed on the package, and spray directly on to the aphids just as you would with soap and water. Be sure to only spray the affected areas as neem oil can repel beneficial insects. A third option is commercial insecticidal soaps, which are available at most lawn and garden stores. Apply them the same way as the soap and water or neem oil sprays. Just remember any of these sprays are only effective until they are dry. That means vigilance is necessary.
While aphids may be a nuisance, the good news is that they don’t have to ruin your crop. Early detection and proper pest management is key. Follow these steps and you too can be enjoying a bountiful, aphid-free, harvest at the end of the season.
For more information about aphids and methods to control them, visit the PNW Hand-book and OSU Extension Service site at:
Central Gorge Master Gardener volunteers provide free beginning gardening classes and continuing education to home gardeners. For research based information about specific gardening or pest questions, submit your concern online at extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/hoodriver or by phone at 541-386-3343. Home gardeners can also drop off plant or pest samples Monday through Thursday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the OSU Hood River County Extension Service, 2990 Experiment Station Road, Hood River.
The Central Gorge Master Gardener program is a division of the OSU Hood River County Extension Service. OSU Extension Service prohibits discrimination in all its programs, services, activities, and materials.
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