I have just been reading an old post regarding using mint as a spray to deter bugs on plants. I have a lemon tree in a large potato tub, but it keeps getting aphids under the leaves along the seam of the leaf which takes all the goodness out of the plant until it drops its leaves.
I have tried everything including wiping each leaf with neem oil, but they always return. I will be putting it outside again once the frost has gone and was wondering if I could actually grow the mint in the pot with the lemon and would it stop the bug infestation?
Thx for reading.
I would not grow lemon and mint in the same pot. Mint is very invasive. I once grew it in my square foot garden and had to remove it because it was spreading everywhere. I now grow it in its own pot.
I love mint and it does deter mice and other rodents, but I have never heard it for aphids. The one time I had them, I did a dip in a solution of warm water and a few drops blue Dawn (the regular--this was long before the extra strength ones were invented).
I have a bad news for the "pro mint" people : I have already seen hundreds of aphids on a mint plant outdoors. but maybe spraying essential mint oil can kill aphids because the smell of the oil is much more stronger than the nice smell of the mint leaves. Luckily mint essential oil is one of the cheapest plant essential oils. You could buy some, dilute it well and spray it on the plant. If you want to try to plant mint with your lemon tree, you will have to consider the different needs of water of the two plants. Mint needs much more water than the lemon tree, the solution would be to plant mint in a watertight pot and put this pot by the foot of the lemon tree.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
When and with what do I spray two apple trees? I pruned them in February.
Hardiness Zone: 5a
By mazie from National City, MI
I'm certainly not an expert but I will tell you what we do. Nothing. We have never sprayed our apple tree and in the 8 years we have lived here (previous owners planted the tree, so I don't know how old it is) we have never had a problem with bugs.
At garden center, wal-mart, Meijers, Fruit Tree Spray, it's a concentrate #17.00. read directions close. used in the spring when leafing/flowering.
I have an apple tree, I don't know what kind, the fruit is red green with white flesh. It has had bugs, I think. They are not seen usually. I don't spray because the neighborhood kids will just take one and eat it. They are ripening way too soon and it's thought they have bugs/worms. What kind of organic bug/worm spray can I use?
Hardiness Zone: 5a
By teresa from Peoria, IL
If they've got bugs, probably nothing will help this year.
BUT, read up on dormant sprays for fall, and then for next year and absolutely perfect apples, read up on bagging apple trees, originally a Japanese idea, now very popular with the Home Orchard Society, in Oregon [google words and you will find them], and what they have to say about it. I can hardly wait to try it myself, next year.
Hardiness Zone: 10a
Helene from Sarasota, Florida
Helene,
If by "natural" you mean organic, you might try applying horticultural oils. These oils were originally developed to prevent transmission of viruses (often spread by aphids) and to kill hard-to-control pests that overwinter on trees. They work on aphids and other soft-bodied insects by smothering them, but they also work on caterpillars and many plant diseases. Most are made with natural ingredients-usually derived from different types of plant oils.
There are also many organic insecticidal soaps effective at controlling aphids. Again, they can cause leaves to burn so they should be tested in small areas before applying. You can make you own with 1-1/2 teaspoons of liquid dish soap to 1 quart of water. These need to be reapplied after it rains and may need to be washed off within a few hours/days to avoid scalding leaves.
Teas made from wormwood or nasturtium are also said to repel aphids from fruit trees. These are made by mashing or blending 1 to 2 cups of fresh leaves with 2 to 4 cups of water and leaving them to soak overnight. You can also make them by pouring 2-4 cups of boiling water over 2-4 cups of fresh or 1 to 2 cups of dry leaves and letting them steep until cool.
I think the simplest and most effective chemical-free treatment for aphids is simply to spray them off with a stiff jet of water from the garden hose. You don't have to worry about burning or scalding your leaves and your tree will appreciate the water.
Ellen
Lady bugs!
Does anyone have a natural organic remedy for eliminating fruit fly in citrus trees (oranges and mandarins)? I live in Perth Western Australia. Thank you.
By Denise W
