Grow Your Own Magazine

I'm new to all this gardening lark and having a great time - up until now. Bugs have appeared. Lots of them and they look to my untrained gardening eye like aphids . What do I do to get rid of them? One idea that I have seen is that you use garlic water. To what quantities? Any other possible suggestions on the back of a postcard...

Ordinary soapy water and a spray will do fine. Washing up liquid, a few drops, in cold water and blast 'em off.

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Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

Welcome to the world of growing your own. Everything you sow or plant is a target for something that wants to eat it before you can. It's challenging, it can be disappointing, but it can also be fun. When you do finally get to eat something that you have grown yourself, and probably picked only a few minutes before, you will realise what it is all about. Taste, freshness, and knowing that your produce is as wholesome and pure as you can make it.

Welcome to the Vine Jemjens. Try just spraying them off with water, or water with a few drops of washing up liquid. If all else fails, and you don't mind using chemicals, (everything you buy in the supermarket is well sprayed with them) you can buy sprays to do the trick. If you buy an organic one it will be expensive soapy water. For a light infestation it shouldn't be necessary to use chemicals. But do do something as soon as you can. Aphids suck the life out of plants.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Thanks everyone for your assistance. My nearly 2 year old daughter and I gave it a try yesterday and so far it appears to have worked. Looking forward to soon harvesting our first aphid free lettuce.

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The Apprentice

Welcome to the vine...RU sure you notthinly disguised Alan Titchmarch? ...so glad you have you daughter with you I really think it is impotant that children learn where food comes from and it is such a good way to spend time with them.

Aphids can be a real pain on lettuce. You need to grow stuff to encourage their predators to your garden. I bet there are some good threads here on that but try Bob flowerdews bible. Also ants farm aphids- protect them to gather 'honeydew'

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Paul