Aphids are something of a scourge for home gardeners. Sooner or later they appear on at least one of the beloved plants - often several times. It doesn't matter whether they are indoor plants or plants in the garden. The beasts can endanger growth. They must therefore be fought. This works very well and completely naturally with rapeseed oil against aphids.
aphids
Among the lice or plant lice, the aphid undoubtedly occupies a special position. In Europe alone there are around 850 different species. Around 3,000 species are believed to exist worldwide. It is extremely widespread. There is hardly a garden or agricultural area that does not have something to do with the pest at some point.
The problem: The animals feed on plant sap. To do this, they drill into the canals of the plants and gradually suck them out. It goes without saying that this leads to significant impairments for the plant and even death. Since aphids also multiply explosively, it is always important to act as quickly as possible in order to avoid major damage.
notice: Exactly which aphid species infested a plant is irrelevant. The effects are always the same.
identify aphids
Of course, before you can take action against the aphid, you first have to recognize it on the plant. It makes sense to check the plant at regular intervals, especially checking the leaves. Depending on the species, the lice are only a few millimeters in size and can be winged or wingless. They are either green, reddish brown or blackish brown. It is striking that they always appear in groups, which in turn makes them easier to recognize.
tip: The undersides of young leaves and soft shoot tips should be inspected in particular. The animals like to hang out there.
aphid infestation
Rapeseed oil against aphids
To combat aphids, it is not necessary to resort to insecticides from specialist shops. On the contrary, household remedies such as nettle brew or a washing-up liquid solution have also proven their worth. The use of rapeseed oil to combat aphids is not yet widespread. This oil can definitely be described as a kind of natural insecticide. Above all, it has the great advantage that it is a foodstuff. In concrete terms, this means that the use of plants that are intended for consumption is completely unproblematic and does not affect the quality of vegetables, herbs or fruit. The way it works is extremely simple. Through contact with the oil, the lice are enveloped in a fine film of oil, which eventually kills them.
application
Anyone who has decided on this type of aphid control must first prepare a solution. It is important that only the amount that is expected to be required is used. The solution should always be used on the same day and not stored. This is how you do it in concrete terms:
- Mix canola oil and water in a bucket or bowl
- the ratio is 70:30
- stir the mixture well with a wooden spoon
- then pour into a spray bottle
- spray the entire plant well with the solution
- Don't forget the undersides of the leaves
tip: Add a few drops of dish soap to the solution. Oil and water mix better this way.
This procedure is intended for adult plants. However, young plants should not be subjected to this treatment, as the oil film can loosen the protective wax layer and thus lead to impairments. The same applies to the flowers and fresh shoots.
Additional information
Although canola oil is a completely natural food, it should not be overdone when used to control aphids. If the infestation is particularly severe, spraying can be repeated the next day. Otherwise, certain restrictions apply. These are:
- treat a plant with the solution a maximum of three times
- Always use in the evening, never in the morning or in the afternoon
- never spray in direct sunlight
- Then move potted plants to a shady place
The background to all of this information is that spraying can cause protective layers on the plants to detach. Although these layers regenerate relatively quickly, in the meantime there is a risk that the plant will be damaged and then not only the aphids will die. To say it again clearly: rapeseed oil is excellent against aphids. As always, the dose is crucial with this oil. It is also clear that aphids and their larvae die off, but rapeseed oil is completely harmless to humans.