Lovage (Levisticum officinale), also known as maggi herb because of its spicy taste, belongs to the umbelliferae family (Apiaceae). If the plant is infested with aphids, natural measures should be the first choice.
Table of Contents
Appearance of the aphids
Aphids are only a few millimeters in size – a maximum of 7 millimeters – and come in a wide variety of colors. For example, they can be red-brown, green or black-brown in color. Some specimens can change color from green to red due to bacteria.
damage picture
The lice sit mainly on the young leaves and soft shoot tips. They excrete a large part of the sugar juice sucked out of the plant, so that a sticky coating, also known as honeydew, can be seen on the shoots and leaves as a reliable symptom. However, the honeydew is a breeding ground for fungi, which can also damage the plant. Frequently, many ants can also be found on the host plants, as they like honeydew and thus form a symbiosis with the aphids.
Other characteristics of an aphid infestation on the lovage:
- yellow spots on the leaves
- crippled leaves
- verkümmerte Triebspitzen
- curled and curled leaves
- shed white skins of lice on plant parts
- black discoloration on some leaves
- stunted growth of the plant
causes
There are many reasons for an aphid infestation of Maggi herb:
- wrong location, for example low light
- no regular watering
- Monoculture
- Diseases
- over-fertilization with nitrogen
- too little potassium
This softens the cell structures and makes it easier for lice to bite them.
Fight mechanically
water jet
The simplest method is to hose the animals down with water. Best from the garden hose. However, the water jet should not be too powerful so that it does not damage the lovage plant.
home remedies to combat it
Neemöl
You can buy neem oil at health food stores and health food stores. You can also get ready-to-use mixes for spraying or watering from garden supply stores if you don’t want to go through the trouble of diluting the oil yourself. Neem oil is extracted from the seeds of the Indian neem tree and is therefore a purely ecological product. It suppresses the ability of lice to reproduce.
- 1 teaspoon of neem oil in 1 liter of water is enough
- mix well
- Pour the neem oil-water mixture into a spray bottle and shake well
- Spray affected plant parts several times a day
Cold water extract from field horsetail
A field horsetail cold water extract is only effective if the lovage is infested with only a few populations of aphids. It is best to use 1 kilogram of fresh and chopped field horsetail. Alternatively, 200 g horsetail tea is also possible.
- Soak horsetail in 2 liters of water for 24 hours
- Strain and pour the extract into a spray bottle
- Spray the plants with it several times a day
- continue to spray at 1 week intervals for prevention
nettle cold water extract
You can make a nettle cold water extract from both fresh and dried nettle leaves. However, fresh works best. For an extract, crush 500 grams of fresh nettle leaves or 50 grams of dried nettle leaves and soak them in 5 liters of water for 12 hours. Then stir the cold water extract with a suitable stick or mixing spoon, sieve and fill into a spray device or spray bottle. Spray the parts of the lovage that are infested with aphids and the parts that are not infested with the extract. Don’t forget the undersides of the leaves. Repeat at 1 week intervals.
garlic broth
The odor-forming essential oils of garlic not only drive away snails and mites, but also aphids. For a broth, pour 3 liters of boiling water over 100 g of finely chopped garlic and leave to stand for at least 4 hours. Then pass the mixture through a sieve and leave to cool. Fill the cold garlic stock into a spray bottle and spray the affected parts of the plant.
Natural predators
Natural predators of the sucking insects can also be used as further measures, such as:
- Ladybugs and ladybug larvae
- gall midge larvae
- lacewing larvae
- catchy tunes
- parasitic wasps
You can lure the beneficial insects into your garden with natural and self-made insect hotels made of wood and clay. Natural insect hotels are, for example, piles of dead wood. Earwigs thrive in a straw-filled flowerpot hanging open-side down in a tree. You can also buy ladybug larvae and other beneficial insects from specialist retailers and settle them in your garden if you find too few or none of them in your garden. But nesting boxes for birds are also a good aphid defense. Tits and Co. like to feed lots of aphids to their young birds.
frequently asked Questions
The widespread tip that mixtures of detergent or soap and water are also suitable for combating aphids is not so advisable for lovage. Otherwise chemical substances could get into the environment and into the plant.
Experts and conservationists advise against this, as beneficial insects such as bees and lacewings can also stick to the adhesive film of the yellow sticker.
Yes, they can, as adult damsels or so-called virgines, as egg clutches or in the form of larvae. Egg clutches are less sensitive to cold than adult specimens. In the form of virgines, they can reproduce without mating once temperatures rise again.
