Content
- Lavender keeps aphids away
- Plant lavender as a plant protection
- Lavender infusion as an agent against aphids
- Tips & Tricks
Lavender keeps aphids away
Aphids can ruin the most beautiful plants in no time. The annoying little animals not only drain their juices from the plants, but also produce a sweet dew that attracts ants. These, in turn, destroy the root system through their gangue formation and thus cause the infested plant to die. If ants suddenly appear more frequently, you should definitely check your plants for aphids.
Plant lavender as a plant protection
However, aphids do not affect every plant species equally. In particular, species that produce many intensely scented essential oils are shunned by the vermin. Especially lavender do not like the little animals, but this statement does not apply to every type of lavender. Less intense scented lavender - such as the lavandin - can even be attacked by aphids, as well as plants that develop only low-essential oils due to insufficient site conditions and care. Highly fragrant lavender on the other hand - especially the Schopflavendel - however, is perfectly suited to be planted as a protective bastion from predatory insects. It is best to plant the plants as a dense hedge or as a groundcover in the bed, but pay attention to the different needs of the respective plant species. Lavender, a drought-loving plant, is far from compatible with any neighbor.
Lavender infusion as an agent against aphids
If aphids have already appeared, they can often be replaced by an intensive treatment with a lavender infusion. For this purpose, pour two copious hands full of dried lavender flowers with one liter of boiling water and let the mixture soak for a few hours. Then remove the flowers and spray the infested plants with the broth. The treatment should be repeated several times, until the last aphid has disappeared. In addition, lavender broth can be used as irrigation water. In this case, the active ingredients of lavender are taken up by the root and transported into the leaf veins, where the aphids absorb them. Instead of dried lavender flowers, you can also use a few drops of concentrated lavender oil - best of the wild lavender, because the drug concentration is highest here.
Tips & Tricks
Mulch endangered or infested plants - such as roses - with flowered and dried lavender stems. With a little luck, the lavender will even self-sow and you can implement new seedlings in the spring.
IJA