We’re barely into this growing season and I’ve already had a rude call from one of my nemesis…. APHIDS!!!
This is usually why I try and grow as much as I can from seed – I know that aphids can just appear in the garden having grown wings and flown in or floated in on the wind – But it seems that 9 times out of 10 I can link the aphids to getting a plant from a nursery and I have not thoroughly looked over the plant first.
Mistake #1 – always inspect any plants that are brought into the garden.
These aphids came in on my Capsicum and Chili plants – I have been being so careful with them! As we’re still getting some minus nights in the glass house, I’m bringing them inside at night and putting them back in the glass house when I go to work.
Luckily from what I can see, none of my other seedlings don’t seem to be showing any signs of aphids – I’ll be keeping a close eye out!
Once I discovered the Capsicum and Chili plants had aphids, I set them on their own isolation schedule, and as per the routine of testing at day 3 and day 14, I made sure that there were controls in place.
After a few days of trying to give ‘a strong water blast’ with my spray bottle the predicament wasn’t improving, and looked like if anything, the daily firm shower was supporting this growing population, so one morning I had an idea… one I will not repeat.
So foaming hand soap – it’s pretty much water, right? It’s really mild, right? It’s pretty much the same as making a soapy mixture to spray on, right?
Wrong!
Especially if you put on a squirt of foaming soap to the top of each plant before work, then plan to brush your teeth and then water it off… promptly forgetting the plan while doing said teeth brushing and leaving for a full workday….
All of the above = not very happy plants.
So learn from my mistake, foaming hand soap may seem like an easy option, but if you learn anything from me, AVOID IT!!!
Below is a photo of my little ones… there is still hope for them yet…
But on a positive note – I can’t find a single aphid!!!! There is always a silver lining
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