I had an excellent tea-receiving day and a terrible tea-drinking day. I got a most excellent package from Virginia and my mom sent me this book:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0789209888/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
She sent it just because (what we refer to in my family as a “happy”), but it got stuck in loading dock jail at the university :(
I had a super busy day with like 3 experiments happening simultaneously, so I got in one darjeeling before work and then nothing else the whole day. I didn’t get home til after 8pm, so too late for caffeinated teas. Boo.
I finally decided that my mint had grown enough to harvest and try a cup of tea. It’s in my front window and I have to lean over a chair to water it, plus it’s been growing like a weed- so I haven’t been inspecting it at all closely. When I did look closely as I started harvesting, IT WAS COMPLETELY COVERED IN APHIDS. PANIC!!!! First step, isolation. I have twelve other plants, so I chucked it on the back porch of my apartment building. Sorry, neighbors. (I’m not sorry). When I examined the window where it was, the wood was also covered in freaking aphids and I doused it with furniture polish. Sorry, aphids. My neem oil is at work, so I plan to start treating with neem oil tomorrow. Experienced gardeners, do you have any other tips? I’m super nervous for my other plants now and I feel like there are bugs crawling all over my scalp. Gross.
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Oh no – that sucks! My usual cure for aphids is lady bugs but that probably won’t work inside your house. I would spray everything down with some insecticidal soap (it is an approved organic method) and then besure you rinse anything you will eat really really well. :(
My freaking rose bush is getting eaten too. Some sort of white fuzzy bug. I am not a gardener so I don’t even know what bug this is. I shall have to google. But we sprayed with insecticidal something and it was free of one bug and now it’s another. I’m kinda giving up on it. Gardening is HARD!
I’m surprised aphids went after mint. Mint is normally pretty pest-free. I use organic dish soap in a spray bottle of water. I use it for my dishes, so I feel safe using it on my plants. :)
I forget the exact ratio, but it’s not much. A few tbsps in the bottle. Works great and it’s cheap. First I “flick” off as many aphids as I can, outside of course. Then I shake the bottle and give it a good dousing of soapy water spray twice per day.
Mint usually benefits from a good cut-back once in awhile, so I’d probably give it a little “haircut” first in this case, then do the soap. That way you aren’t eating aphid leaves later. I don’t think they’re as highly sought as leafhopper leaves. Good luck!!!
My grandfather was a farmer and at least for the last thirty years of his life (not sure about the start) he used a solution of water and dish soap to keep pests off his plants. Works great, doesn’t harm the plant and doesn’t hurt people and animals either.
Insecticidal soap is pretty much the same thing and I’ve also used the dish soap. And I’m also surprised by aphids on mint – they usually like sweeter things
I was also extremely surprised. Where did they come from?? I got those plants from Amazon and opened the package inside. I certainly didn’t notice any bugs then. Maybe they’re not actually aphids? I did some googling and I couldn’t figure out what else they could be. They look a lot like aphids and don’t look like common mint pests (spider mites, loopers, flea beetles), but I’m certainly no expert. Thanks everyone, I will try the dish soap!
LOL @Sars and the “leafhopper” mint leaves
:p
Let us know how it goes. The one great thing is that mint is damn near impossible to kill and should make a full recovery for you. :)
Could they be mealy? White cottony? Google the image. I use solution of 1/2 water 1/2 alcohol and few drops of neem oil. Water should be warm. Shake well and spray everywhere. Replace the soil. It should be fast draining. Don’t put in sunny location, neem will cook it. Google gardenweb Tapla pest mix solution. He is guru of soil mixes and solutions. You can even email him and he always responds. Good luck
Jealous of the book! ;P. I am so sorry about the mint. Hopefully some of the ideas stated will work for you! Let us know.
Oh no – that sucks! My usual cure for aphids is lady bugs but that probably won’t work inside your house. I would spray everything down with some insecticidal soap (it is an approved organic method) and then besure you rinse anything you will eat really really well. :(
My freaking rose bush is getting eaten too. Some sort of white fuzzy bug. I am not a gardener so I don’t even know what bug this is. I shall have to google. But we sprayed with insecticidal something and it was free of one bug and now it’s another. I’m kinda giving up on it. Gardening is HARD!
I’m surprised aphids went after mint. Mint is normally pretty pest-free. I use organic dish soap in a spray bottle of water. I use it for my dishes, so I feel safe using it on my plants. :)
I forget the exact ratio, but it’s not much. A few tbsps in the bottle. Works great and it’s cheap. First I “flick” off as many aphids as I can, outside of course. Then I shake the bottle and give it a good dousing of soapy water spray twice per day.
Mint usually benefits from a good cut-back once in awhile, so I’d probably give it a little “haircut” first in this case, then do the soap. That way you aren’t eating aphid leaves later. I don’t think they’re as highly sought as leafhopper leaves. Good luck!!!
My grandfather was a farmer and at least for the last thirty years of his life (not sure about the start) he used a solution of water and dish soap to keep pests off his plants. Works great, doesn’t harm the plant and doesn’t hurt people and animals either.
Insecticidal soap is pretty much the same thing and I’ve also used the dish soap. And I’m also surprised by aphids on mint – they usually like sweeter things
I was also extremely surprised. Where did they come from?? I got those plants from Amazon and opened the package inside. I certainly didn’t notice any bugs then. Maybe they’re not actually aphids? I did some googling and I couldn’t figure out what else they could be. They look a lot like aphids and don’t look like common mint pests (spider mites, loopers, flea beetles), but I’m certainly no expert. Thanks everyone, I will try the dish soap!
LOL @Sars and the “leafhopper” mint leaves
:p
Let us know how it goes. The one great thing is that mint is damn near impossible to kill and should make a full recovery for you. :)
Could they be mealy? White cottony? Google the image. I use solution of 1/2 water 1/2 alcohol and few drops of neem oil. Water should be warm. Shake well and spray everywhere. Replace the soil. It should be fast draining. Don’t put in sunny location, neem will cook it. Google gardenweb Tapla pest mix solution. He is guru of soil mixes and solutions. You can even email him and he always responds. Good luck
Jealous of the book! ;P. I am so sorry about the mint. Hopefully some of the ideas stated will work for you! Let us know.