Although aphids are small, they can do a lot of damage to your flowers and plants. If you don’t know what an aphid is or what they look like, you’ll learn quickly once this tiny bug starts eating your plants. Today we would like to explain to you in more detail what aphids are, how they can damage your plants and how you can get rid of them in a natural and sustainable way. In this case specifically with coffee grounds against aphids!
Don’t throw away the coffee grounds after the delicious coffee!
What are aphids?
Aphids or Aphidoidea belong to the family of plant lice. Their soft body resembles a small pear and has no visible protective cover. There are over 200 different species of aphids and they come in all colors of the rainbow. The most common color is green, but other shades can also be red, black, yellow, or brown. Some aphids prefer certain types of plants, while the rest are content to eat any young, tender shoot, leaf or twig that can be found in your garden or on your balcony.
Tiny but pretty cheeky!
Another important factor to know about these insects is that they are capable of asexual reproduction, that is, the ability to have offspring without a mate. They can produce over 100 larvae in a week. Because they have the ability to sire new offspring throughout the summer, what started out as a small problem can become a big one in no time. Hence, it is important to get rid of these destructive pests the moment you even see them. Otherwise they will spread quickly and take over your whole garden.
Coffee grounds, on the other hand, can help effectively!
Common signs that aphids are damaging your plants
The secret power of aphids is in their mouths. They have a powerful sucking apparatus that pierces the stalks and stalks of the plant and sucks out its juices. Here’s how to tell if this is the case:
- Your plants are curled, misshapen and develop brown leaves. Tip: You have to look under the ruffled leaves to find the aphids because that’s where they hide.
- The leaves of the plants look swollen. It must be said, however, that only certain types of aphids cause this deformity.
- One notices a dark mold on the surface of the plants. This is caused by mold colonies feeding on what is known as “honeydew”, which in turn is aphid waste. The sooty mold is rubbery to the touch and can stain the plant leaves black or dark gray.
- If not kept in check, aphids can suck the juices out of plants completely and even transmit viruses and bacteria that can affect plant growth.
Rely on environmentally friendly insecticides against aphids!
Use coffee grounds against aphids: And this is how it works!
No, it’s not a garden myth! The coffee grounds are not only suitable as a natural fertilizer for roses, hydrangeas and co., but also as an effective plant protection against aphids. The secret here lies in the most important ingredient in coffee, caffeine. Aphids cannot stand its strength and for them it acts as a neurotoxin. It therefore makes more sense to use coffee grounds with the highest possible caffeine content, such as those from filter coffee machines. Logically, decaffeinated coffee grounds remain ineffective.
So, if you primarily brew black coffee at home, you have the best coffee grounds option
You can either sprinkle the coffee grounds directly as a powder on the ground around the affected plants or prepare a brew from it. If you use the first method, you should start in the spring. So the pests have less chance to multiply at all. However, be sure to dry the coffee grounds well before use so that no mold can form on the floor.
You can get rid of aphids from almost all crops and ornamental plants
Incidentally, coffee grounds are also an excellent fertilizer for the lawn
If you decide to use the coffee grounds brew, it’s just as easy. You should just pour hot water over the coffee grounds again and strain the solution. When the liquid has completely cooled, you can pour it into a spray bottle and generously spray all parts of the plant. In a few days the aphids will be gone!
Use the fresh coffee grounds immediately for the brew
Check out these other natural home remedies and methods against aphids! Declare war on the cheeky pests and take good care of your valuable plants in the garden or on the balcony!
You will then be rewarded with heavenly beautiful flowers and wonderful scents
You can start using the coffee grounds insecticide as early as spring
Balcony plants will also appreciate it
