A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2003 lemon juice for aphids?

A few weeks ago there was an article in my local newspaper suggesting using lemon juice mixed with water in a spray bottle to take care of aphids. Has anyone else heard of this, and does it work? I've been able to overwinter a dark pink nicotiana for about a month so far indoors, but noticed last night that it was completely infested with aphids. I had sprayed it with soapy water before bringing it inside - I don't like to use chemicals since my cats are very curious... I sprayed this plant last night with the lemon juice and can't tell if I got all the aphids. I did lose a few flowers while spraying though.

The only other plant I tried this spray on so far was a streptocarpella that I was also trying to overwinter. It didn't do very well, but I can't tell if it's because it really isn't an indoor plant, or if the spray did it harm.

Any ideas?
Thanks, Lynne

Found this on the web...still looking for lemons against aphids...
ach, guest coming, sorry, more later...
Amie


Aphids on rose Bushes
Mulch banana peels into the soil at the base of the rose bushes. This will strengthen them and ward off disease-bearing aphids.

I have been told that making a tea of tomato leaves and spraying it on plants gets rid of aphids...just not to spray on certain plants...you could look up that info I guess.
~Amie

Hi Amie ~

Thanks for those suggestions. I suppose I could try the banana treatment, though I might get those pesty gnats with that.

It's too late to try the tomato leaf remedy, but I'll keep it in mind for next summer.

Lynne

I have also been told that aphids don't particularly like the smell or taste of garlic so I always plant a few garlic bulbs around my roses. So far so good. But for indoors use, I would think the lemon would definitely smell better than garlic or bananna peels. I'll do some research too if I get a chance...

Squeezed in some research before I leave for the day, this is what I found. According to a number of sites, lemon juice will make the aphids go away. One had this recipe... 1 to 1/2 cup lemon juice, 2 cups of water, and 1 tbsp of baby shampoo. Spray it on and hopefully they all go away. I've never personally used anything but my garlic method and, knock on wood, I haven't had aphids. Now white flies, that's another story...icky poo. :p

Thanks so much for the info, Gardengal! Just curious, when you plant the garlic bulbs around your roses, do they grow into full size garlic plants? Wonder if this would help with the deer problem? Lynne

The garlic bulbs do produce a stalk and bloom. I have elephant garlic and it produces a huge purple bon-bon shaped flower. The stalk grows pretty tall too, about 3 ft. I planted regular garlic for the first time this year which should produce the same, just not as big. I also have society garlic planted near my roses, they get quite bushy with grass like leaves and have small purple flowers in the spring & summer. They also smell strongly of garlic, although I don't think they are edible. I'm not sure which one does the best job but they sure do work. My dad is an avid rose gardener, as was his mom, and they both swear by the garlic method. Good luck.

the tomato leaf remedy includes onion/7 garlic and mince/or food process and strain and et sit 24 hours and use 1 cup to 32 oz water in spray bottle.
(i have tomatoes still so have leafs)
got out my blue box.got my bug remedy folder
aphids
1 has plant chives 3 per bush is checked so have done is still around most my rose bushes is alluim moly that i did
(oh 2nd note theses are bug remedys tried on roses in particular)
companion plants for riding aphids
alluim,garlic,chives,marigold,red painted dasiy,lavendar,thyme& rosemary.
i did a spray with the marigold stems& leafs and seemed to work but had to spray all the time
the red painted daisys have tons of stars and was best remedy ?i did that year& has a note saying guy in canton trade days organic shop has dried flowers of this
& while on this page.......june beetles 1/8 lemon amonia 1 TBs mouthwash 1/4 c neem oil& gall water.gall water is oak leafs steeped in bucket in sun for a few weeks.i sprayed this on whole yard with bottle hooked to sprinkler
another note says blend banannas chives& garlic spray as foliare spray
another says red painted daisy& garlic spray
non selective spray mineral oil& 12 cloves of garlic soak 2 days& strain and spray everything& has a note that sun leaves brown spots with oil
jalpeno peppers& 4 cups water.i still use this spray it kills all both good& bad,but i use on soil not plant
I've done 4 ciggs in water and spray adding dishsoap& cooking oil.amhids,whiteflys& red spider mites.i let sit in water in sun for 4 days then added other stuff
1 c alchoal 1 qt water kills amhids,white flys spidermites& leaf rollers scale& mealymugs(can prevent scale by planting chives around base of tree

ok bug folder is empty now ceept for ants.butter bowl poke holes add peanutbutter/boric acid& sugar if squirrls in yard duct tape shut real good ants go in and die in collusiem
and now for a funny story
1st year with roses had aphids real real real bad i think east TX is the capital of them Especially tyler TX area the capital of rose growers so guess they just kinda attract them.i was always out squishing them(singing squish squish squish to tune of row row your boat) squish squish squish dam bug..LOL).i took shop vac out one day and was vacumeing them off my plants.they really were bad there.my neighbor,the oldest one on street mr tom said to plant marigold around them.i did plant garlic around them& was less when sprayed the red painted dasiy mixture.but he thought i lost my mind.i latter met his wife and she says when ever she was depressed he would remind her that i was vacumeing bugs off my roses cause i hated them amphids.I haven't seen any here in south TX and am just fine with that.
i use garden safe insectail cidal soap spray too now.i use it cause i like my butterflys and is safe for good bugsI buy bottle of concentrate stuff and mix it in sprayer .is cheaper at end of year and will get me through yr with 2 bottles but have lots of plants

I use oregano/peppermint tea as an organic aphid fighter. Just drop a handful of each into a sauce pan of boiled water (just off of the stove) and steep them for about 20 minutes. Let cool, strain and spray. Can be kept in refridgerator for months.

Dawn