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Learn How To Rid Your Garden of Aphids

Home Projects Garden & Outdoor Learn How To Rid Your Garden of Aphids

Want to learn how to rid your garden on aphids? If those loathsome pests are ruining your beautiful garden, you better start acting on it. Here are some great ideas to help you out!

Learn How To Rid Your Garden of Aphids

When Aphids Attack: What Caused Them And What You Can Do

For those that have spent countless hours gardening, lovingly tending to plants, the arrival of aphids in the spring and summer can be a dreaded time. Just as your plants are beginning to enter their period of largest growth you may notice symptoms of an infestation.

This can include yellow, wilting leaves and shoots; large amounts of ants crawling around your plant; and a black, sooty mold growing on leaves and flowers. These are just some of the destructive effects that aphids have upon domestic plants. This can to a lot of headaches for farmers, gardeners, and anyone else who spends their time caring for delicate plants.

What causes these infestations? And what, if anything, can be done about them?

What are Aphids?

Aphids are not a single species; actually, they are a family of insects that represent over 4,000 different species . Biologists consider them to be some of the most successful animals on the planet. This is largely due to the fact that they’ve spread across the entire world and reproduce in absolutely staggering numbers.

The reason that so many different species of aphid exist is because individual species have adapted to only attack one type of plant. Some examples include the black bean aphid, the Russian wheat aphid, the wooly apple aphid and the wooly beech aphid. Each one of these is a highly adapted species of insect that preys on the sap or leaves of a particular plant.

Aphids, though found throughout the world, tend to prefer more temperate climates. While many parasitic insects are most numerous in tropical zones, aphids survive best in more mild climates. This is why they’re so common in the United States where the weather doesn’t get quite so hot as the rainforests.

hand green plany black bugs Learn How To Rid Your Garden of Aphids

image via Department of Agriculture and Food

You’ll want to be diligent in checking your plants for an aphid population. Especially once the weather warms up, it will be important to inspect your plants very thoroughly and regularly. Check them at least twice a week! You’ll need to check underneath the bottom of the leaves, as well as the stems, branches, and inside any crevices where small parasites can hide.

Identifying Aphids

Identifying aphids can provide a bit of a challenge to the novice gardener largely due to the fact that they’re so small. The size range of these insects runs from only about 1/16 to 3/8 of an inch.

Nymphs, or juvenile aphids, are even smaller than the adults. The vast majority of aphids are green in color, although some may be white or black as well. They have pear-shaped bodies and two black compound eyes; some species also have wings that are longer than the body itself.

Signs of Aphids

You needn’t necessarily locate the insects themselves to determine whether or not your plant has become infested. There will be other clues.

Signs of Aphids |Learn How To Rid Your Garden of Aphids | green leaf yellow bugs

image via almanac

Yellowing leaves or black fungus developing on branches and flowers are tell-tale signs. Another strong indicator is the presence of a large population of ants crawling all over your plant. Certain ant species have a symbiotic relationship with aphids; the ants provide the aphids with protection from predators while harvesting the honeydew – a sticky, sugary liquid – that aphids produce.

Because the ants protect the aphids, controlling the ant population in your area is the logical first step in controlling the aphids. It’s important to take matters into your own hands as quickly as possible; once you start seeing the outward signs of an infestation, such as wilting, yellowed leaves, the population has already become that much harder to control.

Aphids usually feed by sucking a sap out of plants although others feed upon leaves or burrow into the soil and feed upon roots. It’s this method of feeding that’s what causes them to be such nasty pests; not only can they transmit deadly viruses to plants this way, they can damage leaves and roots directly, depositing a sticky liquid called honeydew all over the plant. The honeydew attracts ants, as well as wasps and is extremely conducive to the growth of black sooty mold. This mold isn’t particularly dangerous to the plant but can be extremely unsightly and ruin the appeal of decorative plants such as azaleas and laurels.

How Outbreaks Begin

As mentioned previously, aphids tend to show up in force around spring and summer time. They have a unique, complicated way of reproducing that is, at times, both sexual and asexual. During spring and summer, when food is plentiful, female aphids give live birth to female aphid nymphs, which are exact clones of their mother and grow up to give live birth to their own nymphs.

One generation of aphids only lives about 20-40 days so one summer can see dozens of generations come and go. When the weather cools, the food supply diminishes, and the days shorten, the female aphids will begin giving birth to male aphids as well. The males are often wingless and may even lack working mouth parts, but they are able to mate with the females which then lay eggs around leaves and inside of bark crevices. These eggs will remain over winter and hatch again in the spring, starting the process anew.

Particularly mild climates may skip this step entirely; if the weather’s good all year round then the females may simply continue spawning nymphs without any sort of break.

Because they reproduce so effectively and because of their great potential for destruction, any plant owner will need to take steps to curtail the population of aphids before any serious damage is done.

There are several effective methods to do this

Method 1: Control the Ants

We’ve already mentioned controlling the ant population but this is key since they share a symbiotic relationship – one affects the other. Since ants and aphids are friends, removing the ants removes the bodyguards for aphids, leaving them open to predators.

One of the most effective (and beautiful) predators of the aphid is the ladybug. You can buy ladybugs in bags by the hundreds in your local gardening shop. You’ll need many of them, because this method requires a lot – and we do mean a lot – of ladybugs to truly affect the aphid population.

Method 1 Control the Ants | Learn How To Rid Your Garden of Aphids | lady bug on green leaf

image via Amazon – Click to Shop!

You’ll need to purchase your ladybugs and then refrigerate them during the day. Only at dusk should you release them onto your plant. If you release them during the bright sunlight hours, they won’t stick around; they’ll simply fly away immediately. So once it starts to darken you’ll want to release your ladybugs all across your plants. You may have to do this multiple times over several weeks, because as you can imagine, ladybugs won’t necessarily just stick around. They’ll fly off, never to return, leaving your only recourse to purchase more.

Check our sister site, DIY Ready’s post on “DIY Ant Killer | 5 Ant Killer Recipes You Can Make at Home” and learn how to get rid of Ants.

Method 2: Soaps & Oils

Other natural methods of controlling aphids include making a homemade aphid soap full of vegetable oils (or canola oil) as it will suffocate aphids. Add a little bit of that to a spray bottle with some water and dish soap and spray your plant thoroughly. Leave the solution on for about two hours and then spray it off with your garden hose, blasting away any surviving parasites. As long as you are diligent about inspecting and protecting your plants, you should be able to keep aphid infestations at bay!

Check our post on “23 Different Ways To Make Soap from Home” and learn how to make a soap.

Method 3: Contact an Arborist

Of course, if you need additional help or guidance, you can call an arborist. They’ll be able to walk you through the process and what steps to take. It may require some landscaping, but you’ll get rid of these insects in no time.

Need more tips? Watch this video from GrowOrganic Peaceful Valley to see how to get rid of Aphids:

Thanks for checking our Learn How To Rid Your Garden of Aphids post! Which method of getting rid of Aphids will you try? Let us know in the comments below.

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Author Bio : Aaron Sanders has worked in landscaping for 15 years and continues to be an asset to Mr. Tree Services. He firmly believes that your attitude determines your altitude in life.

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NYC Adds Nearly 4,000 People Who Never Tested Positive To Coronavirus Death Tolls

New York City added nearly 4,000 people who never tested positive for the coronavirus to its death toll Tuesday, bringing coronavirus-related deaths in the city to around 10,000 people.

The city decided to add 3,700 people to its death tolls, who they “presumed” to have died from the virus, according to a report from The New York Times. The additions increased the death toll in the U.S. by 17%, according to the Times report, and included people who were suffering from symptoms of the virus, such as intense coughing and a fever.

The report stated that Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio decided over the weekend to change the way the city is counting deaths.

“In the heat of battle, our primary focus has been on saving lives,” de Blasio press secretary Freddi Goldstein told the Times.“As soon as the issue was raised, the mayor immediately moved to release the data.”

The post New York City added nearly 4,000 people who never tested positive for the coronavirus to its death toll appeared first on Daily Caller

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Self Sufficiency

How To Make Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut In A Mason Jar

The thing about homesteading is you get to create your own ingredient right from scratch! Cheese, yogurt, butter and now sauerkraut, a delightfully sour and crunchy ingredient you can use on your meals — or consume by itself — while on a homestead, or while facing this health crisis!

This homemade sauerkraut is a great meal because it has a long shelf life. You can either make plain sauerkraut or mix it with herbs and spices. In this tutorial let us make Lacto-fermented sauerkraut that preserves all the good probiotics in a jar, good for your guts.

So how to make sauerkraut in a mason jar?

RELATED: How To Make Buttermilk On Your Homestead

Delicious Sauerkraut Recipe Every Homesteader Should Know

Why Make Sauerkraut?

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Not only does sauerkraut spoil a long time, but it is also a meal in itself, and it is also easy to make! You don’t need to be an expert cook, all you need to do is follow these simple steps.

So let us get started. Here are the steps in making sauerkraut in a mason jar.

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of cabbage or 2 1/2 lbs cabbage
  • 1 tablespoon of salt

Tools Needed:

  • knife
  • bowl
  • mason jar
  • smaller jar
  • rubber band

Step 1: Wash & Clean the Tools & Ingredients



Wash all the equipment and utensils you need. Wash your hands too.

You don’t want to mix your sauerkraut with bad bacteria, anything that is going to make you sick.

Next, remove the faded leaves from your cabbage. Cut off the roots and the parts that don’t seem fresh.

Step 2: Cut the Cabbage Into Quarters & Slice Into Strips



Cut your cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Then, slice it into strips.

Step 3: Place in a Bowl & Sprinkle With Salt



Put the stripped cabbage into a bowl. Sprinkle the cabbage with 1 tablespoon of salt.

TIP: Use canning salt or sea salt. Iodized salt will make it taste different and may not ferment the cabbage.

RELATED: Homemade Yogurt Recipe

Step 4: Massage the Cabbage



Massage the cabbage for five minutes or more to get the juice out.

TIP: You’ll know it’s ready when you see a bit of juice at the bottom of the bowl and will look similar to coleslaw.

Step 5: Press Cabbage Into the Mason Jar



Add the cabbage to the mason jar gradually. Press it in hard to allow the juice to come out. Do this every time you add about a handful of cabbage.

IMPORTANT: Food should be covered by the liquid to promote fermentation. Add any excess liquid from the bowl to the jar.

Step 6: Press a Smaller Jar Into the Mason Jar



You want to squeeze every ounce of that juice from the cabbage. To do this place the mason jar in a bowl and get a smaller jar.

Fill it with water or marble to make it heavy. Press it into the bigger mason jar. Allow any juices to rise to the surface.

Step 7: Cover the Jars With Cloth & Tie With Rubber Band



Leave the small jar on. To keep your jars clean from annoying insects and irritating debris, cover your jars with a clean cloth. Then, use a rubber band to tie the cloth and the jars together, putting them in place.

Step 8: Set Aside & Check Daily

Set it aside in a cool dry place, away from direct sunlight. Check the water level daily. It should always be above the cabbage.

Step 9: Taste Your Sauerkraut & Keep at Cool Temperatures

Homemade Sauerkraut Cumin Juniper | How To Make Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut In A Mason Jar

After about five days, you can taste your sauerkraut. If the taste is to your liking, tightly cover it with the lid and store in the fridge or cellar.

NOTE: If after five days it’s still not your desired taste, leave it for a few more days. This will allow the fermentation process to continue.

You can now enjoy your sauerkraut in a mason jar. Enjoy its goodness! You can use it as a side dish or mix it with your favorite sandwich.

Things to Remember in Making Sauerkraut

  • Store away from direct sunlight and drafts.
  • Colder weather will make the process longer. Spring is the best time to make them since the warmth helps activate the fermentation.
  • Always make sure that the cabbage is below the water level during the entire fermentation process.
  • If the water level decreases during the fermentation process, you can make a brine and add it.

Let us watch this video from Kristina Seleshanko on how to make delicious Lacto-fermented sauerkraut in a mason jar!

So there you have it! Making Lacto-fermented sauerkraut in a mason jar is as easy as slicing the cabbage into strips. Remember that as long it remains unopened, your sauerkraut can last for months. Best of all, you can partner this sauerkraut in many recipes.

What do you think of this homemade recipe? Share your best sauerkraut recipe in the comments section below!

Fellow homesteaders, do you want to help others learn from your journey by becoming one of our original contributors? Write for us!

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Self Sufficiency

9 SPRING VEGETABLES FOR YOUR GARDEN

Having plants in the house will bring peace to people. Having a little garden with vegetables is even better! You can grow these vegetables in your backyard garden easily as well!

RELATED: Microgreens Growing Guide

In this article:

  1. Tomato
  2. Eggplant
  3. Beet
  4. Spinach
  5. Pea
  6. Carrot
  7. Radish
  8. Cauliflower
  9. Asparagus

Growing veggies in your garden will give you an opportunity to understand what you eat and value it more. Early spring is when most vegetables are being planted. Keep reading to learn about 9 spring vegetables that anyone can grow in their garden!

Tomato

Tomato is the most popular garden vegetable in the States! There are different varieties to choose from. Tomatoes need to be planted in early spring because they won’t survive a frost.

Because tomatoes are consumed daily, try adding them to your garden! They’re not difficult to grow either.

Eggplant

Eggplants are known to have low-calorie, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Plus, they are delicious! So why not plant them in your garden?

Eggplants shouldn’t be planted too early because they won’t be able to survive a frost. So you could consult an expert in your area before you plant your eggplants.

Beets

Beets are known to be a superfood for its various health benefits. They’re easier to grow in the garden, usually around late March or early April.

If the weather is always cool, beets will keep getting bigger and bigger. Once the weather starts to warm up, you’ll need to harvest them, or they’ll go to waste.

Spinach

Spinach is a delicious early spring veggie, and it’s also very beneficial for health. And it’s not difficult to grow spinach in your garden!

Spinach needs cold weather to grow. Getting spinach to grow is easy, but keeping it growing will require some extra care.

Pea

Peas are usually planted in late April. Peas will die in freezing temperatures, but they also won’t survive the heat either. So make sure you plant your peas in early spring.

Peas are widely used in many different ways, and there are different types of peas. The soil you’ll be planting your peas should be suitable for them, so make sure you ask while buying seeds.

Carrot

There are different types of carrots, but regardless of their size and color, it’s a fact that carrots are both delicious and rich in vitamins.

They’re root vegetables, so with proper sun and watering, they can be picked up as baby carrots as well.

Radish

A radish is an excellent option for beginners because it doesn’t require too much care. Radish is easy to harvest.

Radish grows fast, so it’s better to keep an eye on it after a few weeks. Radish usually is grown pest-free, but there’s always the chance of unwanted guests, so watch out for worms. Radish can be eaten raw or can be added to garnish recipes.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower isn’t the easiest vegetable to grow at home, but it is very popular.

Cauliflower grows better in colder weather, so before you plant it, consider the climate of your garden. Cauliflower can be eaten raw or cooked, and it is known to be very beneficial for health.

Asparagus

Freshly picked, tender asparagus is very delicious!

Asparagus plants get more productive with each harvest, and mature asparagus harvest can last for months! Make sure you plant them at the correct time, or else they might go to waste.

All the vegetables listed above are great for your healthy diet, and it’s fun to watch them grow. So don’t miss out on the opportunity to grow your own veggies and eat healthy this spring!

So tell us which veggies will you be growing this spring? Tell us in the comments section!

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