annastasia76
Senior Member
Posts: 223
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:59 pm
Location: Southern Ca

how do I prevent aphids

I picked a beautiful huge head of cauliflower yesterday, took it in the house, washed it off then left it on the counter for about 30 minutes, when I looked at it again I saw millions of aphids all over it. I did not see a single one when I was washing it.

how do I prevent these bugs from getting in my cauliflower because they are a pain to get out, I got most out but I don't think I got them all.

wordwiz
Green Thumb
Posts: 331
Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2010 4:44 pm
Location: Cincinnati

I don't know of any way to prevent them, but Safer Soap and Neem Oil are great - if you spray the entire part of every plant every day you see one aphid.

Mike

cynthia_h
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7500
Joined: Tue May 06, 2008 7:02 pm
Location: El Cerrito, CA

If you didn't see the aphids until you brought the cauliflower into the kitchen, I'd suggest using the method I do for greens when they have lots of "evidence" of being organically grown:

I soak them in warm water in the sink with a couple of dashes of salt. Critters flee the salt, leaving clean veggies behind, and the warm water opens the pores of the veggies, letting soil be rinsed out.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

annastasia76
Senior Member
Posts: 223
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:59 pm
Location: Southern Ca

thanks, I'll try that next time. I did soak it in warm water, but no salt, all that did was drown them so all I ended up with was tons of dead aphids that I couldn't remove.

We've been eating broccoli from the garden and I wonder how many aphids we have been eating.

I did read on some websites that banana peels in the garden are supposed to repel them, does anybody know if that is true or only people repeating the same stuff over and over again.

I also read that foil under the plants helps repel aphids because it reflects the light and they don't like the light. I don't think that it would work in this case because there are so many leaves around the cauliflower (same with broccoli). How do the organic gardeners do it???

If I can't prevent them or easily get rid of them then I will have to give up on cauliflower and broccoli

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Caveat: I have *not* actually done this myself so I can't say for sure how well this works.

What I have read is to wrap the cauliflower/broccoli head with a closely woven gauzy material -- I've read of various materials associated with this method: panty hose, tulle, a piece of floating cover, etc. -- and tie it snugly around the base of the stem.

Now, obviously, if you have even one aphid on the plant already, they will simply multiply inside the barrier. In which case, I have read a few articles (not as frequently) that recommend releasing ladybugs inside the enclosure. If you are using the ladybugs, the covering doesn't have to be individual but a single large enclosure for the bed or row. Another option is to buy green lacewing eggs to put inside the enclosure.

As I said, I haven't tried this myself. I *do* wonder how you would get rid of Ladybug or Greenlacewing larvae that would have delved into the inside of the cauliflower or broccoli heads in search of aphids. Adult ladybugs will be more agile and would come scuttling out. Not so sure about the more fragile green lacewings.

Also, if the crop is NOT covered, other aphid predators would have access. You might be much better off planning ahead and planting to attract a lot of beneficial insects.

User avatar
ThePepperSeed
Cool Member
Posts: 64
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 12:26 pm
Location: Midwest

I grow peppers indoors and seem to deal with them quite often....Neem Oil has been what's saved me time and time again.

User avatar
gixxerific
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 5889
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B

ThePepperSeed wrote:I grow peppers indoors and seem to deal with them quite often....Neem Oil has been what's saved me time and time again.
That will work as well as keeping an eye out for them and being proactive a strong stream of water will dislodge them.

annastasia76
Senior Member
Posts: 223
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:59 pm
Location: Southern Ca

I don't understand just spraying them with water, won't they climb right back on after being sprayed off??

User avatar
cherishedtiger
Green Thumb
Posts: 339
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 1:10 pm
Location: Sacramento, California

lady bugs! Thats what I have heard anyway, they munch on them and the more around the less likely the aphids are to come around. That was my moms old trick anyway.

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

and keep an eye out for ants. Ants move the aphids around.


Eric

annastasia76
Senior Member
Posts: 223
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:59 pm
Location: Southern Ca

actually I bought a package of 1500 ladybugs, kept them in the fridge until dusk, then released them in the garden and by morning only 1 or 2 were left, I even put a large amount of them around the plants that were infested with aphids, they just didn't want to stay, all the aphids are still there.

right now I am experimenting with the bannana thing. My new broccoli I still have not found any aphids on. I am currently leaving my old broccoli plants in hoping that will keep the aphids from going to my other plants, though I know over time they will eventually move.

User avatar
Hydroponics
Cool Member
Posts: 64
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2011 9:27 pm
Location: Garden

I have wiped an entire population of green aphids with Azamax. It works wonders and is all organic. It doesn't smell bad like neem oil.

Azamax just mixes in with water and you spray it on your plant. You can also mix it in your nutrient reservoir and it will make the plant resistant next time. By resistant I mean, if the bugs try to eat the plant, they will eat Azamax and eventually die.

User avatar
GardenRN
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1102
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 10:01 am
Location: Chesterfield, Va

maybe I'm gross. I'm not that worried about eating a few aphids. Granted I'm not trying to make a meal out of them, but after I wash and break up the broccoli or cauliflower, whatever is left can't be that many and if a few go down the hatch, eh, who cares. Probably adds protein.

TZ -OH6
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2097
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:27 pm
Location: Mid Ohio

In the long term you can try trap cropping-predator ranching. Aphids love nausturtiums and ladybugs love aphids. As long as there is a good supply of food for the predators they will stay around and visit other plants as well. Ladybugs and hoverflies both like to feed on the pollen of Queen Anne's lace =wild carrot (early season) and cosmos (blooms later in the year). those will get them to the garden when aphid pops ar low. There are probably other carrot like plants that would work like flowering cilantro for the early season.

User avatar
farmerlon
Green Thumb
Posts: 671
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:42 am
Location: middle Tennessee

Avoid (or eliminate) the application of chemical nitrogen fertilizer.

It's rarely mentioned, but I have witnessed the negative effects that soluble chemical nitrogen can have on aphid populations. Plants can literally "weep" the excess nitrates through their tissues... which makes for a "field day" for aphids, and a resultant explosion of the aphid population! :shock:

Something to think about if you use 10-10-10, 13-13-13, ammonium nitrate, urea, or other similar fertilizer sources.

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

they just didn't want to stay, all the aphids are still there
That's why my suggestion was to trap the ladybugs inside a "cage" WITH the aphids.

It generally works better when the ladybugs come to your garden voluntarily. Conscripted ones may be disoriented or may not be familiar with local aphids, or they have other things on their tiny little minds. :lol: They sometimes sell pheromones/bait to entice the ladybugs to stay.

annastasia76
Senior Member
Posts: 223
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:59 pm
Location: Southern Ca

thanks, I will keep an eye out for the seeds of those 2 plants.

I don't add any chemical fertilizers to my garden so I don't think it's because of that.

jongonz70
Newly Registered
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2011 11:55 pm
Location: So Cal

I'm fairly new, but I had heard somewhere that basil is a good deterrent for bugs to use in your garden. since this seems to be a good thread to post this question.. here goes nothing.

Do you make a liquid mix from basil and spray it as if it is a pesticide? or is it the mere fact of having basil plants in your garden that would deter bugs in your garden? or would this even work? anyone with any info on this topic please chime in :D.

-Jon

annastasia76
Senior Member
Posts: 223
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:59 pm
Location: Southern Ca

I haven't heard basil but onions and garlic is supposedly supposed to repel them, I have read that you should plant them through out your veggie garden, I have some garlic seed in some containers, just waiting for them to sprout.

garden5
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3062
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 5:40 pm
Location: ohio

I read an interesting article the other day about growing crops in the shade. It mentioned using a reflective much like red plastic or aluminum foil to increase light exposure to the plants and increase some of the canopy temperature.

It mentioned, however, that these mulches will deter aphids and I think thrips. I'd try the foil first since for some reason I would think that it would be more annoying to the aphids.

User avatar
Hydroponics
Cool Member
Posts: 64
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2011 9:27 pm
Location: Garden

You can use Azamax to prevent many little pests and fungal attacks. It is really easy to use and Certified Organic. You just spray it in problem areas like the bottom of leaves and in the soil/medium. The Azamax will stop the hatchlings from reproducing.

User avatar
Gary350
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7396
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

You need some spiders and small birds.



Return to “Vegetable Gardening Forum”