Currant bushes are very popular with aphids. The young shoot tips in particular can be full of lice in spring. This can even cripple the shoots. You can find out here how to get rid of aphids on currants with home remedies.
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Aphids on currants
Almost any plant in the garden can get aphids. As long as there are only a few animals, this is not a problem. The situation is different in the case of a heavy infestation. In the case of currants , this is mainly reflected in the tips of the shoots:
- Leaves develop poorly, curl or stunted
- Aphids can be seen between the leaves and shoots
- they are greyish, brownish, green or black
- Ants on the bush are also a clue
collect lice
While it’s not really a home remedy, removing lice by hand can be enough, especially in the early stages. The lice are collected from the currants and crushed. Another alternative is to remove entire shoot tips from the affected plant. Since the lice are almost exclusively there, the infestation has been successfully contained.
water
The simplest home remedy for fighting aphids is plain water. Many lice can be washed away with a hard jet from the garden hose.
- Thorough procedure and frequent use necessary
- does not necessarily kill lice
- flushes them from plants
- can’t find their way back
- The advantage of water is its complete harmlessness
- neither humans nor animals are endangered
soapy water
Aside from water, all you need for soapy water to ward off lice is soap, preferably curd soap and a spray bottle. 15 to 30 g of soap are dissolved in one liter of water and filled into the bottle. Then the plants, especially the shoot tips, are sprayed generously.
If there are already ripe berries on the bush, soapy water is not suitable for fighting the lice. After spraying, residues may remain on the berries.
Natron
You can buy baking soda at any grocery store. It is commonly used as a leavening agent, but has some other beneficial properties, such as neutralizing acidity. It can also be used in a variety of ways in the garden. Among other things, it also helps against aphids on currants. All you have to do is mix a teaspoon of baking soda with a liter of water. Spray the plant with it and repeat if necessary.
oil
It works best with rapeseed oil. However, a good pest repellent is also neem oil. The lice are sprayed with the oil and suffocate underneath. However, the oil film on the plant can cause problems, so it is used diluted:
- for neem oil, one tablespoon is enough for one liter of water
- for rapeseed or other edible oils, about 500 ml of oil to 1 liter of water
- Mix oil and water and shake very well
- shake before each new application
- Spray the plant liberally with the mixture
- repeat if necessary after a few days or weeks
nettle broth
While this tonic doesn’t fight lice on currants directly, it does make the plants more resistant to infestation and fertilize them at the same time.
manufacture and application
- Put 100 g nettles in 1 liter of water
- Crush nettles
- Put nettles and water in sealable bucket
- put on the air-permeable cover
- fermentation starts by itself
- Sprinkle rock flour into the mixture to counteract the strong odor
- Stir mixture regularly
- Fermentation complete when no more bubbles rise
- Remove plant debris and dilute broth
- use diluted broth to water the plants
A nettle decoction can also be effective. Simply chop up 100 g of stinging nettles and soak them in one liter of cold water for a day. Then spray the plants with this mixture.
Rainfarnbrühe
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) doesn’t grow that often in your own garden, but it does grow along roadsides and in fields. It is rich in essential oils and other ingredients that are also used in herbal medicine. Either a broth or an extract will help against lice on currants. For broth, the mixture is boiled. With an extract, the plant material is soaked in water for just one day. 50 g of tansy is enough for one liter of water. Then apply the broth directly to the plants and spray them thoroughly.
Onion broth
Onions or garlic can also be used to make a broth that helps against lice on currants. Manual:
- 1. Chop 50 g of onion or garlic per liter of water.
- 2. Boil the water and pour over the vegetables.
- 3. Let the brew stand until it has cooled down, then strain it.
- 4. Spray plants with it. Repeat application if necessary.
promote beneficials
Promoting beneficial insects is not a real home remedy, but you can not only get rid of lice with it. In a garden designed to be as natural as possible, pests and beneficial insects are balanced. For aphids on currants, for example, this means that they will disappear on their own after a while. Namely when they were discovered by beneficial insects as a food source. Beneficial insects and how to promote them:
- Ladybugs and their larvae: hiding places and places to hibernate
- Lacewings and their larvae: special lacewing boxes offer shelter
- Tits and other small songbirds: nest boxes , hedges, trees, water and feeding places
frequently asked Questions
Yes, these remedies work everywhere. Depending on the condition of the respective plant, some means, such as soapy water, must be used more carefully.
Since it can form the basis for fungal diseases, the sticky honeydew should be removed. The easiest way to do this is with a little soapy water. Plain water works too, but it takes longer to dissolve the sugary dew.
Other insects can actually be affected, but only if they are on the plant at the same time. Therefore, these remedies should only be used carefully when the currant is blooming or there are beneficial insects on the plants.
