Blog

It must be that time of year again… here come the questions about aphids:

“The leaves on Russian kale plants have a gray aphid looking bug on them.
They cluster on the leaves. How to get rid of them and keep them off.
Water doesn’t seem to do much.”

First of all I have to say that if you planted your kale in fall, the plants are probably just finished for the season and should be pulled.  My kale plants bit the dust a couple weeks ago, even after several applications of spray and hosing on a regular basis.  They just decided to be done for the season.  That’s normal, so don’t feel badly about your gardening skills.

That said, if they are young plants, I’ve got several suggestions for you, many of which are in this previous article on battling aphids:

Additionally, I’ve been using Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap with Seaweed Extract.  It’s OMRI approved, which means it’s safe to use in organic agriculture.  I used it on my mustard seed plants and after a few applications, it killed or weakened the aphids, and then the ladybugs came in and took care of the rest.

 

 

 

I like to use the old adage, “The best fertilizer is the farmer’s footsteps.”  That goes for pest control too.  If your garden is relatively small, your fingers are going to be the best way to remove pests.  A quick swipe of the thumb will send them packing on a daily basis.

Good luck and thanks for writing in!