Aphids and ants in the garden are a real disaster. Gardeners use various means to combat this scourge, however, aggressive chemicals are not always appropriate: for example, they cannot be used during flowering and fruiting. In this case, folk remedies come to the rescue, and one of the most commonly used means of combating garden aphids is laundry soap. This inexpensive product is completely environmentally friendly, safe and effective.
In the article we will look at the features of killing aphids and ants in the garden using laundry soap, learn how to prepare solutions with this substance, and how to spray. In addition, experienced gardeners will also share their opinion on this method of pest control.
Harm to aphids
This insect causes significant damage to green spaces in the garden and vegetable garden. The aphid bites through tender young leaves and shoots with its proboscis, drinking nutritious juices from them. As a result of such bites, the plant withers, weakens, withers, and dries out.
Note that this insect is in symbiosis with ants that feed on its honeydew (honeydew). That is why, before fighting aphids in the spring, it is first necessary to destroy all anthills on the site, otherwise these nimble workers will breed aphids again.
The damage caused by aphids is extensive: as already mentioned, this includes drying out of leaves and shoots, depletion of plants in general, and aphids also carry disease spores and lead to the appearance of sooty fungus on the leaves. The honeydew that the pest produces impedes the processes of photosynthesis in the leaves, which also harms the plants. But this information will help you understand how to use ammonia against aphids on tomatoes, and what results can be achieved.
In the video - damage from aphids:
The following symptoms may indicate that aphids have settled in your area: deformation of young shoots of plants occurs, as well as the apical part of trees and bushes. If aphids infect the plants at the time of flowering, the buds begin to fall to the ground, first curling.
On leaves and branches, as well as under trees/bushes, you can notice a sticky substance - the so-called honeydew. It is this substance that is the reason for the strong “friendship” between aphids and ants. And if plants are attacked by gall aphids (for example, currants), characteristic unsightly swellings appear on the leaves - galls. You may also find it useful and interesting to learn about how to spray currants against aphids after flowering.
Advantages and disadvantages in the fight against insects
Special insecticides will help you fight, and if you want to get rid of pests and cause minimal harm to the ecology of the site, folk remedies will be the best choice.
Benefits of folk remedies against aphids:
- many of them not only destroy insects, but also act as fertilizer, saturate the soil with useful substances, stimulate plant growth and increase yield;
- Generally safe when used correctly;
- do not have an unpleasant odor, which is the problem with most insecticides;
- available and cheap;
- they can be used to prevent the appearance of aphids in the garden;
- quickly destroy pests.
Among all the methods of combating aphids, there is no ideal one, and folk remedies, despite their apparent safety and high efficiency, have their drawbacks.
Disadvantages of traditional methods:
- are not absorbed into the fabric of leaf plates, remain on their surface, and therefore are easily washed off when watering or after rain;
- in most cases, they do not act immediately; repeated treatments are necessary;
- some folk remedies are unsafe for humans (ammonia), it is necessary to use protective clothing when processing;
- If the instructions for use are not followed, they can cause burns on the leaves.
Plants should not be sprayed with any means on a bright sunny day . Drops of the solution can act as a lens and burn the leaves.
How does soap work?
Laundry soap has been used by gardeners in our country for a very long time in pest control. This remedy was used back when chemical insecticides were just emerging. With the help of soap, you can not only drive aphids and ants out of your area, but also defeat some fungal plant diseases.
The pest-killing properties of laundry soap are based on the rich content of natural fatty acids in its composition. Scientists have already found out that one of the main components of soap, caproic acid, can kill up to 90% of aphids even in a very weakly concentrated solution.
It will also be useful to learn about what folk methods exist to combat aphids on currants.
Laundry soap is most often used together with other substances in the fight against aphids. Soap in solution is responsible for the insect sticking to the leaf, and substances with a more aggressive toxic composition already complete the procedure, completely destroying the pest.
However, the laundry soap itself has a complex composition, which in the proper concentration can easily kill aphids.
Therefore, highly concentrated solutions of laundry soap can also be used as a separate spraying agent. It will also be useful to learn about how to use tar soap and soda against aphids.
In the video - laundry soap for aphids:
Note that cosmetic soap is not suitable for combating aphids - it is necessary to use laundry soap or tar soap. The fact is that these types of soap have the highest disinfectant and antibacterial properties. In addition, today manufacturers have developed the so-called green soap - a special soap-based insecticide that can, among other things, protect an area from aphids and ants. But you can find out how mustard is used against aphids from the article at the link.
Fighting spider mites with soap
If you find that your plantings have been attacked by spider mites, laundry soap will help solve this problem. Its use is effective in the initial stages of infection, so plants must be regularly inspected so that they have a chance of survival. If the pest has attacked indoor plants, rub a sponge with soap and wipe parts of the plant with it. This method is only suitable for flowers with large leaves. If they are small, use a sprayer. After 3-4 hours, rinse them in the shower and cover with a bag.
As for outdoor plants, in this case prepare the solution in the same way as against aphids. Crops with signs of damage and plants growing in the neighborhood are subject to treatment. After 2-3 hours, water the plantings with clean water using a hose.
How to make a solution
Standard
To prepare the correct solution of laundry soap, which is guaranteed to be able to destroy aphids, you must follow simple but mandatory requirements.
Let's take a closer look at them. First of all, to prepare the solution, you need to grate 300 grams of soap - 75% - on a coarse grater. Pour the resulting soap shavings into a bucket and add two liters of warm water to dissolve the soap. Stir. When you have a concentrated composition with completely dissolved soap, dilute it with 8 liters of cold water. Mix everything thoroughly too. After the solution settles, it should become transparent, without any solid fractions or thick sediment. But this information will help you understand what aphids look like on cucumbers in a greenhouse, and what soap solution is needed in this case.
From liquid soap
In addition to bar soap, you can also use its liquid analogue. In the same way, liquid laundry soap is dissolved in water, but in the following proportion: for a 10-liter bucket you need to take 125 ml of product.
Laundry soap for caterpillars
Caterpillars are the scourge of crops such as cabbage. Every year, summer residents spend a huge amount of time trying to defeat them. BUT THEY ARE BACK!
Recipe for a soap solution with chamomile to combat caterpillars
A bucket of warm water, 1 kg of green chamomile and 50 grams of grated soap. Mix, strain and process.
Infusion of tar soap and ash
A glass of ash, a teaspoon of tar shampoo and 5 liters of water. Let the solution sit for a day and can be sprayed.
Recipes
Let's look at the most effective recipes for spray solutions with soap.
Ash-soapy
It is very effective to use wood ash along with laundry soap for pest control.
To prepare the spray, sift the ash through a sieve to separate large fractions from the fine dispersion - they are not needed for the solution. A total of sifted finished ash powder will require 300 grams. Place a metal bucket with 10 liters of water on the stove and pour ash into it. Bring the mixture to a boil, and after boiling, cook for another half hour. Then you need to cool the resulting brew (but not completely), and dissolve grated laundry soap in it in an amount of 40 grams.
But this information will help you figure out how to make and apply serum against aphids on cucumbers.
This solution should not be used when plants are in flower. When ash gets on the delicate petals, they become unattractive, including to pollinating insects. It is better to treat flowering bushes and trees with clean soap foam.
Soap and soda composition
To prepare this product you need to take a tbsp. a spoonful of soda (heaped) and one-fourth of a standard piece of laundry soap (grated). Mix the substances, place in a metal ladle, and pour in a liter of boiling water.
Stir until smooth - this will be a concentrate. Then the resulting composition is diluted with a bucket of cold water and used for spraying plants. But how to breed Fitoverm from aphids, and what you should pay attention to when using this product, is indicated here.
Soap and tobacco solution
Aphids are known to dislike strong-smelling substances and plants. Tobacco is one of these plants. Adding tobacco to spray solutions is therefore very effective. To make the solution, you need to take 200 grams of dry tobacco (leaves or shag), grind it into dust, pour it into a bucket of water, and add a couple of pods of hot pepper for strength.
Oil solution
In this case, to prepare the damaging composition, use laundry soap and vegetable oil in equal parts.
It is recommended to take a glass of oil and the same amount of soap shavings for a bucket of water. All components should be mixed, beaten until the soap is completely dissolved, and then used to spray garden plants against aphids, as well as to nourish the soil. The oil helps the soap solution stay on the surface of the leaves for a longer period, as it protects it from fading in the sun and rolling off to the ground. As a result, processing efficiency increases.
With tomato tops
This remedy can also be used quite effectively to eliminate aphids in the garden. To prepare, you need to finely chop 4 kg of tomato tops (fresh) and place them in a metal bucket. Pour the plant material with ten liters of water and leave for 4-6 hours. After infusion, the composition is boiled, bringing to a boil, and then for another half hour. Add 50 grams of grated soap to the resulting liquid, mix everything and filter.
You can also try using ammonia against aphids in the garden.
All soap-based solutions are used for spraying only when cooled.
Securing natural insecticides with soap
As a rule, gardeners use laundry soap to fix natural insecticides. To repel pests, it is not at all necessary to treat with chemicals. Infusions of onion peels, garlic and other products that emit a pungent odor do a good job of this task. In their pure form, the products do not linger on plants. To correct the situation, you need to add crushed laundry soap (3-4 tbsp.) to the composition. Neither rain nor dew can wash off such a coating. In this matter, the main thing is not to overdo it, because excessive application of liquid to young plants can cause burns.
Reviews
Let's find out what our gardeners say about the use of laundry soap in the fight against aphids.
- Olga, Zelenograd: “At my summer cottage, I try to use natural fertilizers and insect killers too. Nowadays there is so much artificial stuff around that we want to at least provide our family with completely natural products. I most often use laundry soap as a remedy against aphids. It helps effectively, but it is important not to start the reproduction of insects, and to fight them in the early stages.”
- Mikhail, Nizhny Novgorod: “You need to fight aphids using all possible methods - for me this problem is relevant every spring. I use both insecticides and biological products, and when the aphids just start to fly in, I spray the bushes with a solution of laundry soap. I note that if you treat with soap in a timely manner, then aggressive chemicals may not be needed.”
Prevention of fungal diseases
Using laundry soap you can resist fungal diseases. The solution allows you to fight gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), which most often affects strawberries, cabbage, onions, cherries, peppers and other crops. At the initial stage, you can detect a light gray coating. Soon it begins to actively spread, all parts of the plants become lethargic, rot and fall off. Plants can be protected from this disease by treating them with a soap-based solution. Grate half a block and dilute the shavings in 10 liters of water. To enhance the effect of the composition, it can be supplemented with tansy or garlic extract. Treat every 2 weeks. A total of 3 such procedures will be required. 157
Use of green soap
Green soap is a special product that is a thick mixture of brown or greenish color. It contains a large amount of potassium salts and fatty acids. The use of such a product can stop the development of pests, preventing them from feeding and reproducing. The main advantage of green soap is that it is absolutely harmless to the environment and is highly effective.
Most often, green soap is used for preventive purposes. It is not difficult to prepare a solution based on it.
You only need 40 grams of the product, a liter of boiling water and 2 liters of kerosene. All this is mixed to such an extent that the mixture resembles sour cream in thickness. Shake the solution before using it.
This remedy is used in early spring before the formation of buds, as well as before winter. For prevention, plants can be sprayed with a solution with a concentration of 2-4% to protect them from spider mites and aphids.
This solution is suitable for small plants such as shrubs; to treat trees, the solution must be diluted with water, increasing its amount by 2 times . If you plan to spray plants at the peak of the season, when the foliage on the plants is still green, then this soap needs to be diluted with water up to 12 times.
Please note that plants need to be sprayed on cloudy days or in the evening when the sun goes down. Otherwise, there is a risk of harming the plant, as it may get sunburn.
In addition, when processing, it is necessary to affect only the bush, without affecting its root system.
Please note that green soap is an insecticide, although not as strong as many chemical products. It must be used strictly according to the instructions and in compliance with safety precautions, while using a protective mask and rubber gloves. It can only be used to combat insects; it is not suitable for washing dishes or washing clothes.
Which soap to choose
I often hear that the type of soap does not matter when making a working solution. I'm willing to argue with that! A better option is laundry soap 72%. Why? It has a high content of fatty acids. The second most popular, from my point of view, is tar soap. If you have ever smelled it, you will understand why.
Aphids do not like strong and unpleasant aromas, and what could be worse than tar? Both household and tar products are excellent at fighting bacteria. And this is another plus in favor of choosing these two types of soap. But there is a third, effective product. We are talking about a special green soap, which is sold in a gardening store. In fact, it is a ready-made insecticide.
Other options are often chosen:
- ordinary: hygienic, cosmetic, perfumed;
- liquid.
The last two should not be used. They use flavored fragrances and dyes. You can try, but be prepared for the fact that after processing, harmful substances will first enter the soil and then into the roots of the plants. It is not difficult to guess that the result of such spraying will be the death of your rose.
