Aphids on Chilli,Can't use soap

[swainclubber]

i had loads of aphids on my chilli plant (habanero)..i was told to spray soap on them.So i used watered down fairly liquid.Lots have died, but then again lots of my flowers and leaves have now dropped off!the flower buds went brown, but the leaves still looked good.Any ideas to make it healthier and get rid of aphids please?

ben

[swainclubber]

[Palustris]

Been warning people about using liquid saop as an insecticide for ages. The soap to use (elsewhere perhaps) is horticultural soft soap which is made from plant extracts rather than caustic soda and other nasties.
Generally speaking all we do is to spray the aphids with clean water and wash them off.
Or try to find some ladybirds and lava to eat the aphids.

[swainclubber]

so nothing from a garden center or anything is recommended?

[Svea]

horticultural soap is exactly what you can buy at a garden centre. dont use fairy liquid, is what palustris is saying (i think).
it's too strong for the plants and not meant fro them.
i know b&q do a insecticidal soap spray which is even HDRA approved (the organic assoc) so that is what i use when i need to.

yes, washing the aphids off with a sharp water spray will also work, though you will have to do that a couple of times to get them off and persuade them that your peppers are a bad place to make a home :)
svea

[swainclubber]

lol..ok i will take a look.cheers

[Derekthefox]

I tackled aphids and blackfly using a brew made by soaking rhubarb leaves in a  bucket of water until the mixture stunk to high heaven! I filtered this into a hand sprayer and added a couple of drops of washing up liquid, just to improve the surfactant nature of the spray. It had done the trick on my broad beans, not needed to use it anywhere else yet. The issue about the soap is a valid one, my approach was that I was using such minute quantities, there would be no visible difference, and the washing up liquid was available immediately.

Good luck!  :D

[swainclubber]

ah thats cool.sounds good.yeah i used too much,luckily i didnt use it on the entire plant,or near any of the chillies.couldve been worse

[tim]

SC - just use your fingers. that way you know the job is done.
And once you hack the first lot, they don't seem to come again, & predators take over the job.

[jennym]

I agree about just using your fingers or water. But if you want to use horticultural soft soap, one brand name is Savona.

[ina]

I never had any trouble using soft soap against aphids and it works great. Old fashioned green/gold soft soap, about a flat tbl. spoon in a liter water.
Problem is that some people confuse soap with detergent.

[aquilegia]

I wash my basil plants under the running tap. Hold your hand over the top of the soil, tip the plant (and pot) horizontally and wash.

[swainclubber]

thanks for the tips..now there are so few leaves it is easier to see inside it.so i rub them off with my hands..i hope new shoots appear to give it more life

[busy_lizzie]

I just kept rubbing the aphids off my aubergines until I couldn't see any.  Did this regularly and they were fine.  I did the same with the wooly aphids on my Aser which is in the garden in a pot.  That was quite badly affected, but squashing them with my fingers did the trick and they appear to be all gone and the plant is completely clear and healthy.  :) busy_lizzie

[swainclubber]

cheers.it is the soap that made my leaves and buds drop off though :-[

[tim]

You can always fall back on Defenders?