Pests & diseases › Aphids
Aphids
Tiny sap-sucking insects, green, black or grey. Cluster on shoot tips, undersides of leaves and flower buds. Sticky honeydew below.
Symptoms
- Curled or distorted young leaves
- Sticky honeydew on leaves and stems
- Sooty black mould growing on the honeydew
- Ants farming the aphids for honeydew
- Stunted growth on tender new shoots
Lifecycle
Active from April to October in the UK. Females reproduce without mating, so colonies explode in warm spells.
What to do
- Blast off with a strong jet of water early in the day
- Rub off small colonies with finger and thumb
- Encourage ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies — plant calendula and yarrow nearby
- Spray with diluted soft soap solution, hitting leaf undersides
If it's bad
- Pyrethrum-based sprays (organic certified) for heavy infestations
- Systemic aphicides — last resort, never on flowering crops bees visit
Stop it coming back
- Don't over-feed with nitrogen — soft sappy growth attracts them
- Inspect new plants before bringing them home
- Companion plant with chives, garlic and nasturtiums (sacrificial)
Crops it goes for
Apple
Aubergine
Basil
Blackberry
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Calabrese
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Cherry
Chilli Pepper (Hot)
Chilli Pepper (Medium)
Chilli Pepper (Mild)
Chilli Pepper (Super Hot)
Chives
Coriander
Courgette
Cucumber
Cucumber (Greenhouse)
Dill
fennel bulb
French Beans
Kale
Lettuce
Lettuce (Butterhead)
Lettuce (Cos/Romaine)
Oregano
Parsley
Peas (Garden)
Peas (Mangetout)
Peas (Sugar Snap)
Plum
Raspberry (Autumn Fruiting)
Raspberry (Summer Fruiting)
Rosemary
Sage
Squash & Pumpkin
Sweet Pepper
Thyme
Tomato (Beefsteak)
Tomato (Cherry)
Tomato (Standard)
Watercress
Watermelon
Plan the plot, track every sowing, cook the harvest
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.