Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Aphids

BenwoodcockukBenwoodcockuk Posts: 20
in Problem solving
Aphids are ALL over my photinia hedge and other plants on the front. They're already causing the leaves on the new growth to curl and break. Ergh.

Im planning on watering the aphids off the leaves. And I have some Neem oil coming tomorrow.

Is there anything else I can do? I can't really remove them by hand because there's around 30 plants with them on. 

Posts

  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    If you can get hold of one of those pump action 5 litre spray bottles with a wand - Aldi and Lidl often have them as well as B&Q etc., that would make it easier to do a large area but in a targeted way. Then you can add a squirt of dish washing liquid to it, which causes a light film that suffocates them. I tend to squish by hand because I have hard water which leaves white deposits on the leaves. Sounds like you would have a lot of squishing to do though! Don’t spray neem oil in sunny weather or if you are expecting it in the following couple of days or you could fry the leaves.

    Everyone says garden birds will do the job for you, but they never seem interested in mine!
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I spray with liquid soap in water.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I put bird feeders near susceptible plants.  Aphid arrival tends to correspond with nestling season so the parent birds hoover up the aphids for the babies.  I haven't sprayed in decades.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    My solution is to boil up some rhubarb leaves, allow to cool, and drain off the liquid.  Put that into a kitchen spray and spray it on them.
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    I spent an hour today squishing blackfly on the new growth of the viburnum opulus in my mixed hedge, the growth is distorted and my hands were stained, where are the birds when you need them, they don't seem to take any notice of them!
  • Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380
    I've been doing the same today floralies in the UK Midlands.  Can't get at them in the flowers though :/
  • CrazybeeladyCrazybeelady Posts: 778
    Aren't they just the most annoying thing  :s. I've already got them on my aphids and they give me the rage. Never had birds eat them. I always pick up any ladybirds around and put them on them. I think I might order some ladybirds from online (and probably watch them all immediately fly away  :D). I mainly squidge them or get sticks and rub them over stalks, pushing them off.
Sign In or Register to comment.