It may sound unusual, but gardeners have been urged to put washing up liquid in their gardens. Though it may seem a bit out there, there’s an important reason why you should do it. According to gardening expert Ish, known as gardening.with.ish on TikTok, it can help with a very big problem – bugs getting in the way.
In a recent video, he revealed his “top remedy” for keeping aphids, more commonly known as greenfly, out of the garden. He said the sticky insects often get stuck to the leaves of plants, and they can actually damage plants too.
Though the problem can be tough to solve, he has a few methods to help people ease the issue, and one involves washing up liquid. In the clip, he says: “My first solution is the dish soap method.
“Now, this one is super simple. Take a few tablespoons worth of dish soap, and pop it in a spray bottle. Top the rest off with some water.
“This solution is fantastic at destroying the aphids exoskeleton, which effectively finishes it off, but it doesn’t do any damage to your plants. So, it’s super easy and super effective.”
Another thing you can do is opt for fragrant planting. According to Ish, things like marigolds, onions or garlic are great to be planted near your plants infested with aphids.
This is because they can’t stand the smell of them, so they should just stay away. He did note that, when it comes to marigolds, they may still attempt to get to the leaves, so some people use them as a bit of a “trap plant”.
If you plant them near your bigger plants, they should go for the marigolds and leave your other plants alone. He said these two methods should help keep aphids in the garden under control, but you can do one more thing if they’re persistent.
He said blasting them with a jet washer is a good way to try and get rid of them. As well as this, you could also introduce ladybugs into the garden to aid the issue.
They are the natural predator of aphids, so it will really help. This should help to keep your plants happy and healthy.
What are aphids?
Aphids are small, sap-sucking insects that are also commonly known as greenfly or blackfly. They are known for being a pest on plants.
They come in all sorts of colours including green, black, yellow and white, and they can be different sizes too. To feed, aphids insert their beaks into plant stems and leaves to suck out the nutrient-rich sap.
If you suffer with them in your garden, there are a few things you can do to try and get rid of them. Some natural methods you can use include spraying water on your plants, using soap or neem oil or by encouraging natural predators such as ladybugs.
You could also consider removing weeds, planting companion plants and maintaining a healthy soil ecosystem to aid the problem. If you’re unsure if you have them, regularly checking your plants will help you to spot them.
It’s important to know that weeds can attract aphids and other pests, so it’s vital to remove them. Keeping on top of your gardening is crucial.