APHIDS ON MY HIBISCUS

coach.janet.bolton

Can anyone suggest an environmentally safe method to get rid of aphids on my indoor potted hibiscus? I've tried power water spraying and an insecticide from Safer (my hibiscus started dropping leaves and the aphids returned after 2 applications). I'm trying to avoid spending a lot of cash trying this and that and damaging my plant. Keeping up with fertilizer and plant vitamins is helping her recover. Thanks in advance!

gennywu

My first line of defense is always the following: fill a spray bottle with water and add a little dish soap (not much - maybe a tsp or less per spray bottle. Spray directly onto the aphids. The soap coats their bodies and dries them out. Good luck with your hibiscus!

chimboodle04

Neem oil will work as well - I have an indoor plant with a scale issue and have been using it for that - almost cleared up thank goodness. It is effective against aphids as well - mix the solution as directed and try to spray it in a well ventilated space (we put it in the shower in our one bathroom and turned on the outside vent after spraying...)

LaurieLovesLearning

@coach.janet.bolton @chimboodle04 But, if you are in Canada, you can't buy neem oil. It is illegal here from what I understand. Some people that I chatted with about neem oil treating chicken mites & lice mentioned this. I looked online & couldn't find any here.

I am going to go out on a limb (no pun intended) and ask if you would consider buying ladybugs or praying mantis. I know that these are sometimes used in greenhouses.

chimboodle04

@Laurie hmmm... I might consider it if I had a specific room (like a sunroom) that I could keep the plants in and close it off from the rest of the house, and then let them outside once the job was done - I get enough lady bugs finding their way into my house without any help that I have to try and relocate! You get quite a few in the packages that you buy to release...

Torey

@Laurie I had to look this up cause I know that neem oil is sold in Canada for use in Ayurvedic Head Massage (I had one once and it was amazing!) and wondered about the availability. so this is what I have found out.

" Health Canada says that neem oil is in itself not a banned product. It can be purchased and sold in Canada but it is not to be commercially used as an insecticide – nor is it to be sold as a leaf shine (no explanation why). "

So, you can buy neem oil at amazon.ca (cold-pressed, unrefined and organic, no less) and maybe make your own.

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dianne.misspooz

Neem oil is good and I'll be following the thread for the info... but the REAL reason I'm here is because your Topic Title drew me in. It sounds like it'd make a great C+W song! haha! Love it! 😁

LaurieLovesLearning

@torey Thanks. I know that I couldn't find any in stores and had trouble finding it online at the time.

Now, I have the dried neem herb. I don't know if the oil is just infused oil...is it that or something else?

Torey

@Laurie Neem oil is pressed from the seeds of the fruit of the Azadirachta indica tree. I looked it up in my Ayurvedic text and it says that the bark of the plant has similar constituents to the oil as far as a pesticide goes. It seems that the herb (leaf) might also have similar properties but don't quote me on that. I would need to do quite a bit more reading. What are you currently using your neem for?

LaurieLovesLearning

@torey Nothing. I did buy it in case I could use it for this purpose. I got it just after I had bad bug issues on indoor plants.

Torey

@Laurie Not sure how effective it would be but just because you have it, maybe mixing it with some kind of oil might work as a pesticide.

Anyone else have experience using neem this way.