Was so happy to see my sad, under-soiled tomato plant putting out flowers, but it’s also attracted aphids! I’m too poor to even afford pesticides, and was planning on growing organic anyways, but I’m not getting any help with pest predators from the surrounding apartment environment (cropped lawn grass and dandelions)
How do I attract natural predators of plant pests, like hoverflies, parasitoid wasps, ladybeedles and others without just buying a pack from a store? I want to engage in the war on bugs on the side of bugs, but the bugs that eat the bugs that eat my plants, for essentially a budget of $0. How the hell am I supposed to do this…
Oh and if anyone’s wondering, I bought these plants from the farmer’s market on EBT because they were cheap but I can’t buy any dirt or bigger pots. So I’m working with the best I got until I get a job and a paycheck
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If you have a spray bottle you can mix water and a bit of soap and spray down the flowers to knock them off. It also makes a slippery surface so they should have a hard time getting back on. Though tomatoes don’t usually like water on the stalks or leaves too much so be careful and try to target the affected areas only.
Be very careful.
“Soap” today isn’t what it used to be. It’s made of synthetic high performance surfactants that can severely damage the plant.
Only use potassium soap or very mild baby shampoo that doesn’t contain much sodium.
And only use it in ultra diluted amounts.You only want so much that the water can suffocate the aphids, and not leave any residues that harms the plant!
This is when commercial products lead the way. Get some safers soap or some neem oil.
This is the answer. Simple recipe that works: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/homemade-soap-spray.htm
Just spray it where you see aphids consistently and they’ll eventually stop showing up. Also look around to see what other plants they may have come from. They don’t just show up on one.
The aphids have an oily layer that keeps them hydrated. The soap breaks this down and they dry out.
Aphids have two forms. A flying form and and a wingless colony forming form.
Those are wingless colony forming form. All you have to do is run your finger along the flower/ stem to remove them. Keep it up for a few weeks and the predators will eventually find them. Once you have some predators around the aphids will go away for the rest of the year.
I did this last year. Just posted at the bed for a bit every few days squishing them. It was effective.
All you have to do is run your finger along the flower/ stem to remove them.
or a brush too is efficient for this.
also, if there is a colony of ants nearby that are protecting those aphids, predators can’t approach. You have to deal with ants as well :/
This is interesting, I did not know the Ants had a relationship with the Aphids.
We get Preying Mantis around here and I always cheer for them, but I wonder each creatures role now.
A little paintbrush is perfect for doing this. Some people like using a spray bottle, but ive found it doesn’t knock them off as reliably
I’m surprised that nobody has suggested ladybugs.
The title says Poverty, last I checked it wasn’t cheap online to buy and ship the bugs, ladies.
I thought marigolds attract ladybugs.
Oh, this site says cilantro, fennel, and dill attract them, too. So you could have herbs at the same time.
If you want to attract beneficial insects you should buy some parsley. It’s attracts beneficial insects and supposedly hides the scent of other plants.
It attracts pollinators as well. There’s no point buying bugs if you don’t have anything to feed them. Just buy a parsley plant and then you can use it as well
Lemongrass is good at masking scent also, and grows like a weed (plus makes yummy tea!)
I have been planting some in a pot because I was told it repels mosquitos. I don’t think it does but I grew enough tea to last me more than what I used in a year. I think this season I am going to freeze some of the larger stems for cooking and make some infusions with thee grassy parts. I would recommend it
UPDATE: No more Aphids! I’ve attracted an eight-legged friend it seems
I love this so much
I have a bunch of native wildflower seed packets I got from my local master gardeners, but nothing to start them in and nothing to grow them in cause I ain’t got no dirt!!
Dirt is dirt. Go outside and get some.
Preferably you want good soil, though, not just dirt. For that you might want to go somewhere stuff is growing and take from there. Or, if that’s not an option, make your own with compost.
Absolutely love seeing all the broke gardening advice, I will have to come back to this thread
Goof luck op!
You could craft a insect catching net and go bug hunting with that. An old window sheet and some sticks could make a good one. Swoosh it through some flower fields, and collect the beetles and whatnot. Some of them will eat aphids, and maybe lay their eggs.
It’s important tho that you get some flowers and cover crops as fast as possible.
For example, you could throw some fenugreek, pea, or whatever whole spice in there.
They won’t stay there for long if otherwise.Greetings from my german balcony! 🌱
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Northeast Kansas, USA
you could try diluted cigarette ashes,
some even say they got positive results by soaking used filters( if ashes are not option)You could probably just use regular tobacco as a nicotine source if you don’t have easy access to those, instead of picking random cigarette butts.
Pests like stressed out plants. Cold water, especially one that has chlorine in it, which I assume it is because OP lives in the US, this would shock the plant.
Very, very few people in the US use water that isn’t right out of the cold tap. It will not harm the plant.
I go right out of the hot tap cause it’s better than letting it go down the drain when I wait for the shower to heat up.
Unfortunately they’re pesky little buggers. I wasn’t able to get rid of mine until I used pyrethrin. Is there a neighborhood gardening or buy-nothing Facebook group in your area? Someone might have some lying around that they’d be willing to give away.
try rinsing/spraying both sides of the leaves daily with water
I haven’t had a chance to try but some people I know take brightly colored paper plates or cups like yellow and cover them in Vaseline then place them around the aphids so they get stuck.
You can buy live ladybugs and release them in your garden.
Notice OP said they were poor.
