Lice on tomatoes are a real problem, especially as they multiply quickly and prompt action is therefore essential. In this article you will find out how and with which home-made sprays you can get rid of the annoying pests.
Home remedies for aphids on tomatoes
Plant lice, such as aphids, can cause a lot of damage in the garden. The hungry little creatures attack numerous plants, multiply rapidly and weaken their host considerably. Fortunately, there are a number of very effective home remedies that can be used as sprays to combat lice.
1. Effective: soapy water
Probably one of the most effective aphid sprays is a simple soapy solution that you make with non-potassium soft soap or curd soap. Simply mix a tablespoon of soap (liquid or finely grated) with a liter of water and stir until the soap has dissolved. Now you can use them as a spray. The agent leaves a fine film on the tomato leaves, which prevents the lice from breathing. Alternatively, neem (or neem) is also very suitable, which you can purchase commercially as a tincture or powder.
2. Baking soda
Dissolve half a teaspoon of baking soda (e.g. baking soda or baking soda) in a liter of lukewarm water, fill the mixture into a spray container and spray the aphid-infested tomato plants thoroughly. Incidentally, baking powder is not suitable for this purpose, as it usually contains no baking soda.
Tip: So that you actually get rid of the lice, you should carry out the injections several times at intervals of a few days, regardless of which product you choose. This also catches the newly hatched lice that escaped during the previous spraying.
Effective plant extracts for lice
The garden and nature also provide some plants with effective ingredients that are of great help in getting rid of aphids. Plant manure, in which the collected plant parts are fermented in spring or rainwater for several days, is particularly helpful.
3. Bracken
Fermented fern manure is an excellent remedy against lice on tomatoes and works in several ways: On the one hand, it helps as a spray treatment against all types of aphids, on the other hand, it is a good organic fertilizer due to its high phosphorus content. For a higher nitrogen supply, you can also use a few handfuls of freshly picked nettle leaves, especially since these are also very effective against plant lice.
bracken
It is best to prepare the liquid manure with bracken, whose large, green fronds you collect on rather acidic forest soils. If possible, only cut the young fronds, leaving the thick, older ones standing. The best time to do this is June, when you can also dry the herb (e.g. loosely bundle it in the air) and keep it on hand for later use.
And this is how you prepare the fern herb liquid manure:
- cut one kilogram of fresh fronds as finely as possible
- pour into a plastic bucket
- fill up with ten liters of water (spring or rain water).
- then stir carefully
- put in a warm and dark place
- then cover with jute, a grid or similar, but must be ventilated
- stir daily
- Fermentation process is over after 12 to 14 days
The fermentation process is complete when no more bubbles rise. Now you can filter the liquid and fill it into canisters, for example. Well sealed, it can be kept in this for about a week.
Application of fern manure:
- Mix the fern manure with rainwater.
- The ideal ratio is 1:20.
- For every 50 milliliters of liquid manure there is one liter of water.
- Add a teaspoon of soft soap for better adhesion.
- Mix well and pour into a spray bottle.
- Spray tomato plants early in the morning if possible.
You should never spray tomatoes in the field before an impending downpour, as the rain will quickly wash the agent off the leaves and render it ineffective. Incidentally, this also applies to other sprays.
Tip: Usually, fermented manure stinks terribly. However, you can mitigate the unpleasant odor by adding a handful of rock flour when preparing the mixture.
4. Nettle
Nettle manure is also excellent against aphids and also has the advantage of being a very good fertilizer for tomatoes. The agent is rich in nitrogen, mineral salts and trace elements. Production and use of the manure works as already described for the fern herb manure, but you only have to let this mixture ferment for eight to a maximum of ten days. If possible, use young leaves and stems that you cut before flowering. If you have liquid manure left over after spraying, this will help your compost to decompose.
5. Tansy (wormwood)
With its fine, light green leaves and its intense smell, tansy (bot. Tanacetum vulgare) has always been used as a natural pesticide in home gardens. It blooms throughout the summer and is easily recognized by its yellow, solid flower heads. Against aphids, the tansy has a preventive, less combative effect. So use the fermented extract primarily to protect the tomatoes or in the event of a minor infestation.
Tansy - Tanacetum vulgare
And this is how you make the pesticide:
- Cut a kilogram of fresh flowers and leaves.
- Chop the material as finely as possible.
- Cover it with ten liters of spring or rain water.
- Let it ferment as directed for eight to ten days.
Then dilute the manure with water in a ratio of 1:10 and spray the tomato plants.
Tip: An infusion of tansy flowers (100 grams per liter of water) is very effective against fungal diseases such as downy mildew or rust.
6. Soapwort
Soapwort (bot. Saponaria officialis) bears its name for a reason. The pretty plant with the purple, fragrant clusters of flowers is one of the classic representatives of the cottage garden, because its roots in particular contain plenty of saponins and were therefore used by our ancestors to wash our bodies and clothes. However, a fermented soapwort extract is also great for controlling lice on tomatoes and other garden plants.
soapwort
If you want to grow soapwort in the garden, give it a sunny spot with plenty of space. Don't forget to bury root barriers as well, as the plant spreads over far-spreading rhizomes. Otherwise you can often find them growing wild in ditches and near rivers. A fermented extract is effective against lice, which is produced in the same way as described for fern manure:
- a kilogram of fresh leaves and flowers
- cut as finely as possible
- and add ten liters of spring or rain water
- Leave to ferment for eight to ten days
- apply immediately
To use, dilute the extract in a ratio of 1:10 with water.
Tip: Ivy leaves and horse chestnuts also contain saponins and can therefore be used as an infusion against aphids. However, ivy leaves are poisonous and are therefore not suitable for vegetables such as tomatoes.
7. Vermouth
Wormwood is also very suitable for combating annoying lice on tomatoes. The strong fragrances of the various Artemisia species have a disruptive effect on the lice, which is why a spray with the agent even has a preventive effect. The best-known species, which are also suitable for preparing fermented plant extracts, are:
- Artemisia absinthium: Common wormwood, greyish color and very lush growing
- A. alba: dark green colour, shrub-like growth
- A. abrotanum: also known as southernwood
- A. annua: annual mugwort
vermouth
You can grow these and other types of wormwood in the garden or collect them on walks through nature. All are found primarily on dry and well-drained soils. For an effective anti-lice agent, soak two kilograms of freshly cut leaves and flowers, chopped as finely as possible, in ten liters of water for eight to ten days. Let the mixture ferment as described for the fern manure and then spray it on the infested tomatoes diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5.