A new question came in to Ask Gardenerd:
“Hi, I’m an organic gardener growing my own food in Hollywood. I have a
well-established herb garden, but all of the sudden my herbs seem to be
infested with teeny tiny green flying insects that swarm around when I
shake the plants. They seem most attracted to my woody herbs (rosemary,
oregano, thyme) but are also in my mint. Any idea what they are and
what I can use to reclaim my crops? Thanks.”
Those flying green things are most likely one of the many varieties of aphids on our planet. They suck the life out of plants, but if your plants are well established, they should hold up well against the invaders. That said, I understand your desire to eradicate the problem.
You can use a couple of tactics to get rid of them:
Jet Spray and a Haircut – I know this sounds harsh, but I’ve used this trick to completely rid myself of aphids before. Simply put, you set your hose sprayer on kill and blast the heck out of the aphids (on heartier plants like rosemary), then cut the bulk of the herb down (those that regrow from the base of the plant – like chives and mint). If they don’t have anything to eat, they go away. I’ve seem my chives completely recover from a severe infestation by using this trick.
Sticky Tape – Since they can fly, you can put out yellow sticky traps like Pot Stickers or other sticky tape near the base of the plant. They are attracted to the bright color and end up hanging out a lot longer than they expected.
Horticultural Oil – Most organic horticultural oils are canola or neem based, which is completely safe. The oil, when mixed with water and sprayed on your plants, will smother the buggers and protect the plant from further infestation.
I hope this helps. Keep us posted on your progress.
