How to get rid of Aphids on Petunias?

Aphids being the common culprits in the garden or the indoor plants have now taken a tight hold on your petunias and you are furious! We understand that! Petunias are such pretty flowers with leaves that have a waxy to sticky coating which become a bonus for the aphids to stay longer on the plants after attacking them. Do you know How to get rid of Aphids on Petunias? If yes, then great.

Quick takeaways:

• It is not difficult to get rid of aphids on petunias.
• You can try to make use of soap water solution, use water jet with a high-speed setting, neem oil, and many more other things you can do to get rid of aphids on petunias.
• Aphids look like tiny insects and usually attack the tender parts of the plants like new growths, soft leaves, etc. Not only petunias but also mint, lettuce, lemon trees, tomato plants, basil, etc.

In this article, we will inform you of the aphids and how to get rid of them effectively with a sure result! So let’s move on to the target.

What are aphids?

Aphids are very small-sized pests that are mostly seen grouped beneath the leaf’s surface, in areas of various colors, and are available in different types.

They are soft-bodied and can be seen when they are in clusters. The aphids suck the sap from the plant body making them weak and lifeless.

What does an aphid’s attack look like?

• The aphids need to be identified properly so you can move the plant to the spot with good light to clearly visualize the parts and undersurface of leaves.

• The aphids also form sooty mold on the leaves and the stem areas.

• The plant mainly shows stunted growth, curled leaves, and discoloration when aphids attack the petunias.

“If a tree dies, Plant another in its place”

– By Carolus Linnacus

Why are aphids on petunias?

• Aphids usually get super active during the season of glowering which means the spring season.
• So there are chances the soft flowers get prone to be attacked by the aphids in springtime.
• Other than this if the petunias are under some kind of environmental stress then the aphids will easily attack the plant.

How to get rid of Aphids on Petunias?

We know you want some amazing ways that are workable and not harmful to the pretty petunias, so go through these easy yet effective methods to remove the aphids from petunias:

1. Using soap solution

Yes, you read it right! The dishwashing soap will help you out. You need to make a solution out of liquid dish wash soap by mixing it with water, pouring it into the spray bottle, and then spraying it all over the petunia plants.

The soap solution will irritate the aphids and make them rush far away to die.

2. Using the companion planting method

Companion planting can easily cover petunias in so many ways. You can plant garlic, chives, and other herbs with the petunias that will keep the aphids at bay. The aphids hate the strong smell of herbs which help in repelling the aphids from the targeted plant.

You can also plant those plants like nasturtiums which aphids would prefer to munch on more as compared to the petunia plants.

3. Using neem oil

Neem oil is an organic way of getting rid of aphids. You can use neem oil as a natural pesticide that won’t harm the plants or the nearby ones. You need to blend the neem oil with dish soap and little water. Spraying it all over the aphids and the surfaces having them.

The neem oil will help in killing the aphids. You will need to spray one to two times a week to completely eradicate them.

4. Using water jet

Aphids don’t have wings so they cannot fly away and escape that quickly. The aphids can be sprayed with a water jet through a hose on the leaves and flowers.

It is important that you don’t harm the plant parts and be focused on where you will spray. Make sure that the leaves don’t stay wet for long and warm simultaneously as it can lead to infections and fungal growth too.

5. Using beneficial insects and bugs

Insects and bugs like wasps, lacewings, and some beneficial beetles eat aphids. These are beneficial insects as they help in preventing or removing aphids from plants.

If you are up to saving the petunias for the long term you can plant dill, fennel, dandelions, etc plants near the petunia that attract these insects and protect petunias from aphids.

How to Identify Aphids?

Here are some symptoms by which you can identify the aphids:

• If you find that the plants are starting to get leaves twisted and curled yellow foliage, and have sluggish plant growth.
• If your plants are attracted by aphids at first you will notice them on shoot tips, new growth, and flower buds.
• In case you look at them closely you will have the undersides of young leaves and developing stems.
• The insects are grown in different ranges of color from green to yellow, brown, red, or even black.
• The aphids are used to excrete a sugary material called honeydew.
• After honeydew excretion fungus called sooty mold grows on it that is used to prevent light from reaching the plant.
• To get rid of them you need to wash the plant leaves with water which enables you to remove the honeydew and sooty mold.

How to Prevent Aphids:

To maintain the health of the plants it is compulsory that they need proper water, light, and nutrients. There are different ways by which you can prevent aphids from growing in your garden:

Scout for Aphids Regularly:

You need to check your plants every other day so that you find any symptoms of aphids in the early stage only so that you can solve the problem as soon as possible. 

Use Row Covers in Your Vegetable Garden:

To protect your plants from aphids you need to cover the plant with floating row covers which will help to keep aphids and other insects away from the plants. Using the cover will not stop air light and moisture from reaching the plant. When the seedling grows for some inches you can remove row covers or you need to remove it when the temperature is hot during summer. 

Remove Weeds:

It is not necessary that they only harm while growing, but they are also able to get a foothold in your garden in the form of weeds. So you need to be careful and remove the weed before this spreads to the vegetables and flowers. There are some weeds that attract the aphids to attract them such as sow thistle and mustard

Attract Beneficial Insects That Eat Aphids:

If you want to protect your vegetable from aphids you need to plan flowers such as marigolds calendula, sunflower, daisy, alyssum, or dill new to your vegetable so that they attract the beneficial insects which will love to feed on aphids plant flowers, including marigolds, calendula, sunflower, daisy, alyssum, or dill, Ladybugs and lacewings nearby to attract beneficial insects that love to feed on aphids. 

Wrapping up the context

It is very important to keep the petunias away from the aphids as they are really sensitive to the aphids’ attacks and start to show some dull characteristics. Petunias have delicate soft flowers that are loved by aphids. We have surfaced all the best possible tips to get rid of aphids on petunias and information in between that you need to know. We hope you find this article useful.

Happy protecting! Happy planting!

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