Aphids on my plums!

tuffnelljohn · May 2022

Hi all,

I have some dwarf plums which are in containers. I noticed a few days ago that the underside of all the leaves are covered in aphids and ants!! (After some googling I realised that the ants are farming the aphids; The ants are coming from my compost bin which is next to the plums; Theres ants in my compost bin becuase theres too much brown matter and its too dry!; So Ive been adding water and more green matter to the compost bin. Funny how one - seemingly unrelated thing - causes an issue elsewhere in the garden).

Anyway, Ive spent the past 2 days each morning spraying the underside of the leaves with soapy water becuase I read that this suffocates the aphids. Is this the case? Has soapy water worked for anyone else here? Is there anything else I can do?

Thanks

Balgay.Hill · May 2022

How many men read the thread title and thought, 'that sounds painful!'.

Sorry, i'll get my coat.

Fairygirl · May 2022

I was thinking along the same lines @Balgay.Hill

You can certainly use soapy water for aphids, but you only need a tiny spot of it added to a spray bottle. Water is just as effective though.
Yes - if your compost bin is too dry, it'll be a lovely home for ants, and they'll farm the aphids. Keeping more moisture in the bin will certainly move them on, but if you have dry conditions, you'll probably have ants somewhere anyway.

tuffnelljohn · May 2022

Fairygirl said:

I was thinking along the same lines @Balgay.Hill
You can certainly use soapy water for aphids, but you only need a tiny spot of it added to a spray bottle. Water is just as effective though.
Yes - if your compost bin is too dry, it'll be a lovely home for ants, and they'll farm the aphids. Keeping more moisture in the bin will certainly move them on, but if you have dry conditions, you'll probably have ants somewhere anyway.

Thanks. When you say "water is just as effective", do you mean spraying water knocks them off the leaf; or that its equally as effective as suffocating them?

".. you only need a tiny spot added to a spray bottle..." Oh dear, I used quite a concentrated solution! I now have 2 very sparkly and a bubbly plum (trees!). I hope I havnt poisoned the leaves!

Ill go out later and wash off with water.

Fairygirl · May 2022

Yes - a good skoosh of water knocks them off, although it doesn't suffocate them like the soap does.
Only a tiny amount needed. I don't think it'll have done any long lasting damage though - giving your plants a good soapy bath

Aphids on my plums!

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