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When aphids settle on plants, they are hard to get rid of. We recognise them easily – the plant’s leaves begin to curl and on the underside small black or green clustering dots appear. It seems that the fight against aphids is lost in advance and that new ones always appear that continue to damage the plant. Of course there are fully chemical sprays, but if we grow a plant for consumption, or if we want to avoid chemicals on principle, it is better to opt for a home remedy.
How to do it?
Pour one litre of water into a pot. In it mix about fifty grams of red ground chilli peppers. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for about twenty minutes. Then let everything stand overnight so the peppers can lend the solution all their beneficial properties.
In the morning strain the mixture and dilute it in five litres of water. Pour the resulting diluted solution into a sprayer and spray all the places that are occupied by aphids. The hot peppers burn the aphids, but do not damage the plant. Repeat the procedure several times as needed until the last aphid disappears from the plant.
Rely on herbs
You can also try some other tips. Aphids, for example, are repelled by the aromatic scent of marigolds, thyme, basil, summer savory or mint. Dill or lavender, which you plant at the edge of beds, also works quite well. If you smoke, you can also make a solution from one hundred and fifty grams of tobacco or cigarette butts from unfiltered cigarettes, which you boil for about an hour in three litres of water. Then spray the solution on the infested plant.
Prevention is, of course, also important. Dig over the soil outside and dispose of the parts of the plants that are already irreversibly damaged. Never throw them on the compost, aphids could start spreading again. Rather burn these parts of the plants. Fertilise the plants regularly, because if they are properly nourished, the chances of pest infestation will be much lower.
