by Lisa Giroday, Sandra Lopuch and Sam Philips | Yes, the bane of summer gardening is upon us. Aphids are everywhere, decimating all veggie plant life in sight; you see ants carrying them around all over the undersides of plant leaves, in plant crevasses, and over new growth. One indication of aphid damage are leaves that have been deformed and puckered; they look bleached in areas. Critters that indicate you might have aphids are the presence of ants or ladybugs in your garden. Ladybugs love munching on aphids, and ants shepherd them around and mess up the whole scene because they feed on the sugary honeydew left behind by the aphids. In exchange, the ants protect the aphids from predators and parasites. Gross. Crops aphids especially love are peppers, tomatoes, brassicas (kale, broccoli), beans and cucumbers.

Here are a few things you can do in the garden to combat these little fuckers:

Companion Planting: Let’s start with nasturtiums. They grow like mad and their leaves and flowers are edible. Harvest for garnish and salads. They have a unique, delicious taste: a tad sour but peppery. They act as aphid “bait” in the garden. Yes, they may attract aphids, but trust us, if you plant them near your tomatoes, peppers, kale, artichokes, and anything else susceptible to an aphid attack, your other crops will remain unscathed. And if your nasturtium remains relatively unscathed too, all the better (another goodie is borage – the flowers taste like cucumber and aphids love them sooo much).

Combating drought: Aphids, and every other pest under the summer sun, are attracted to drought-stressed plants. If you don’t properly water your garden, they will hone in on your crops more than in a well-watered garden. This isn’t to say that a well-watered and healthy garden won’t attract aphids, but it certainly will not hold a candle to what happens in a stressed-out garden. Make sure the soil is moist 3-4” below the surface – give your plants a good drink in the am or pm for maximum moisture retention instead of watering in the day, when the water will evaporate quickly.

Get out the hose sprayer nozzle and blast: Why not kill two birds with one stone and water your garden while combating aphids? Get out the hose and set your spray nozzle to a setting strong enough to blast the jerks off the leaves (not so sharp that it tears the leaves).  The spray of the hose, um, destroys the aphid’s soft little body, so you don’t have to worry about them climbing their way back up.

Soapy Water: Soapy water works on aphids as well. The soap also makes it more difficult for breeding and egg laying. Add a few drops of an eco-friendly dish soap or castile soap to a small spray bottle and go to town.

Biological Control: Ladybugs. They eat aphids. You can buy them online. There are many stories of ladybugs being unleashed only to have them vacate the premises. If you do opt for ladybugs, try releasing them in the evening and ensure the garden is well-watered.

Diatomaceous Earth: This method of control is reserved for dire situations. While diatomaceous earth is organic, as it’s comprised of a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It works on aphids, slugs and other pests by causing them to dehydrate, however, this control also harms beneficial insects in the same way, so use it only as a last resort.

THE VICTORY GARDENS ARCHIVE