It happens so regularly now, I just accept that Iıve lost the battle and go on to more winnable garden tussles. Yes, my red currant is just going to be attacked by aphids every spring and summer no matter what I do about it.
There are literally dozens of different kinds of aphids, many of which prey on specific plants. They are generally about a sixteenth- to an eighth-inch long in colors of green to brown, purple, red, and black. Some are shiny, while others have a waxy, cottony covering. All of them will have long thin legs, sucking mouth parts, long antennae, a pear-shaped body and a pair of tiny tubes that project from the bugıs posterior. They are most often found on the underside of the leaves where they tap directly into a plant vein to suck sap.
Aphids produce several generations a year. They overwinter as eggs on the trunks, branches, and/or roots of host plants. In the spring, the eggs produce females that can, in turn, produce live young in fewer than 10 days. As the colony outgrows its food source, winged aphids are produced and these fly to a new plant where they begin new cycles that go on through the summer and into the fall.
Aphid damage rarely kills plants, but the insects do distort foliage and create honeydew that, in turn, creates its own set of problems. The sweet secretions drip to the ground, covering just-washed cars and lawn furniture with a sticky mess. It draws ants in from nowhere to harvest the honeydew. And, if thatıs not enough to rile you, the secretion spawns a sooty, black mold that adds to the muddle.
Controlling aphids is an exercise in persistence and patience. First, plant varieties or plants that are resistant to aphids, especially in areas near seating or parking areas or where the honeydew will create problems. This may take some experimentation and research. Use a hard stream of water to blast the bugs off plants you can easily reach, especially on the underside of leaves. This interrupts their living patterns enough to slow them down.
Encourage predator insects that will seek out aphids for dinner. The aphid population will build to a certain level and then the lady beetles, lacewing and hover flies and their larvae will move in to eat the aphids. Learn to recognize these bugs and their larvae and watch for them on your plants.
Insecticidal soap sprays can be used, but they will also kill the beneficial insects. The soap components attack the soft exposed tissues of the aphids, drying them out and killing them. Be sure to get the spray to the underside of the leaves where the aphids are hiding.
As a last resort, systemic insecticides can be applied to plants. The chemical is picked up by the plantıs vascular system and transferred to the aphids when they suck the sap. (Just donıt use systemics on edible plants, or the chemical may be transferred to you!) The advantage of systemics is that they will protect the plant for a period of time.
Controlling aphids in large trees you canıt easily reach may be a job for a professional with the right equipment, ground-injected chemicals, and timing. Because it takes about four months for a large tree to move the chemical from the roots to the canopy, controls must be done in August or September and/or early in the spring. In other words, if the aphids are already in the trees, itıs probably too late to treat effectively.
Aphids create a mess, but they seldom kill our plants. You can control them, but it may be easier to avoid incorporating plants into your landscape that are most susceptible to aphid invasion.
Basically all WSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers want to do two things they want to garden and they want to help other people garden well.
Among the many teaching tools that Master Gardeners use to reach out to people, demonstration gardens are favored.
First and foremost, demo gardens are hands-on. Itıs no secret that people of all ages learn best when they use all of their senses. In demonstration gardens, people can see the garden layout, the size of a mature plant or color combinations that are most effective in landscapes. They can feel leaf textures, soil types, and mulching materials. They can smell herbs and taste the differences among vegetable cultivars. And on tour days, they can hear Master Gardeners inform them about effective garden techniques and get the latest buzz on pest control.
Demo gardens need tending and that gives Master Gardeners another reason to like them. They get to work in the garden, admittedly a favorite pastime, and they get to do that work with other friends and associates with whom they can talk, compare notes, share insights, and catch up on family or office news.
Demonstration gardens are a sense of pride for many of the communities where they exist. Local newspapers take note when ground is broken and planting begins and permanent signs remain to honor garden donors and sponsors. Whether the gardens show drip irrigation for arid landscapes, vegetable cultivars and growing methods for new gardeners, or best plants for local conditions, they are both fun and educational places to visit.
Here are some choice sites in counties around Washington State. For readers in other states and countries, search the Web (Google) for your county or city and Master Gardener Demonstration Garden. Thereıs likely a great one near you.
