our beautiful hybrid clematis has recently come into growth, and straight away I noticed aphids. The bane of our lives. I made a note to buy more spray, then saw this hint on facebook.
to control aphids, cut banana peel into smallish pieces (about 2 or 3 cm) scatter them on the ground under plants with aphids and the bugs will disappear.
nothing ventured, nothing gained, so I did just that, and checked a few days later. Not an aphid to be seen. halelujia
mark_g,
Oct 2, 9:08pm
Interesting. Think I'll try this. I have a lime that in mid-late spring every year gets heavily infested.
I can keep the initial infestation attempts at bay by keeping my eyes peeled and squishing the beginnings of infestation on new leaves. But I can't keep on top of it, and at some point every year I have to spray a couple of times with an insecticide to make it go away.
I'd rather not use an insecticide if I can help it, so I'll give this a go as it sounds easy. That helps a lot.
wheelz,
Oct 2, 10:29pm
Ooh wonder if that works for codlin moth and whitefly?! Looks as tho I'm going to up my banana intake .
oh_hunnihunni,
Oct 2, 10:36pm
Hmmmm. I wonder how high the effect 'stretches' because my climbing rose gets a good population each year on the stems at balcony level. I might need to put a tray on the deck.
mark_g,
Oct 2, 10:38pm
For Codlin moth, I have found that broad leaved chives planted or in pots around/under the apple trees works wonders. I don't know if any chives or if garlic chives would be the same. I was told it must be broad leaved chives and so I found these in the Kings catalogue.
I got codlin moth fairly badly (50% of apples ruined) every year for 15 years. Then I tried the broad leaved chives, and straight away, and every year from then (5 years now), only about 10% apples ruined.
The chives are, of course, edible. Taste like a standard chive but a bit stronger - more oniony.
I can't say for sure if the chives did it (they did) or if some other changing of global weather patterns did it. All I can say is that from year one of planting broad leaved chives under my apples - much reduced codlin moth problem.
lakeview3,
Oct 2, 10:55pm
my lovely great aunt who passed away many years ago always had lovely roses and ALWAYS had banana skins under them! I was only a kid so never asked why. Must try myself!
lakeview3,
Oct 2, 10:56pm
good to know! Thanks!
wendalls,
Oct 2, 11:41pm
Bananas high in potassium which is the essential nutrient required for flowers, fruit and veg. The one nutrient not so high in manure often used for fertilising I think. Onionweed planted under apples is a known deterrent for codlin moth so chives highly likely. I just read this on NZ vege gardeners Facebook group. I have lost entire crops in last 2 years so will be planting both those things as well as my neem granules, hormone trap and treacle trap! I'll get the bar stards!
lythande1,
Oct 3, 8:27am
Gardening myth.
gilligee,
Oct 3, 9:12am
Which comment are you referring to?
gilligee,
Oct 3, 9:17am
For years every time we have a banana I chop and place the skin under a different rose. I do it for the potassium but never spray for aphids so perhaps that is why.
lovelurking,
Oct 3, 9:59am
Because I can't/ won't/ don't bake I throw the whole, too brown to want to eat bananas around the roses. Can't remember who told me roses like bananas but I've been doing it since the old days when dinosaurs freely roamed. I don't care if it's an old wives tale! ðŸŒðŸŒðŸŒðŸ’🌹🌹ðŸ’
oh_hunnihunni,
Oct 3, 10:16am
I used banana peel on my orchids when I was obsessed by those insane plants - always had stunning flowers, so I never toss the peels in the garbage, always on the garden. But the aphids trick I'm definitely trying.
And you know what they say about myth and old wives tales - knowledge science hasn't quite caught up to yet.
And I'm passing on the onion weed thing to my friend with a suburban orchard - I even have the onion weed she can use.
woody89,
Oct 3, 10:28am
I too have thrown out any and all old bananas & skins to the garden. I'm also interested in the codlin moth suggestion but I'd do your friend a favour & tell them about the chives mentioned above in preference to the onion weed- that I have in ever increasing numbers & I won't be deliberately placing it in my orchard, it is out of control elsewhere!
oh_hunnihunni,
Oct 3, 10:37am
You should see the drifts in the council reserve across my back fence just now, like snow in summer.
docsportello,
Oct 3, 10:47am
I just use a four by two Whack Smack! Aphid jam.
lovelurking,
Oct 3, 11:02am
Another thing we do is plant garlic around the roses, again I can't remember where that idea first came from but my parents and grandparents were big on companion planting. They used to plant vegetables strategically in the garden too so they didn't compete with each other. They used to plan and plant their gardens by the moon calendar too.
colin433,
Oct 3, 2:39pm
I'm so pleased that my original post has created such interest. I was in the garden centre yesterday and told Peter about bananas for aphid control, and he also told me about bananas under roses.
It's great when we can help each other
brightlights60,
Oct 3, 4:30pm
Certain plants, like roses, do well with the odd banana skin, as they love the potassium. However, I have never found it helps with the aphids. My roses are doing great, however at this time of year, yes there are aphids that love the new growth. I find I need to spray maybe once now and if at all once more in a few weeks for the entire rose growing season here in Christchurch (through till April) and have no more aphids. I use Shield.
samanya,
Oct 3, 4:45pm
What a handy tip. I've got a Hibiscus plant in my conservatory & it's covered with the little blighters . I'm going to try the banana skin trick. It might work in the glass house later on, too.
wheelz,
Oct 9, 11:40am
well its been 6 days since i placed banana around a rose with aphids. upon checking today. the aphids are still there. my opinion of banana peel for aphid deterrent. balderdash! Be interested to hear others results.
101chooks,
Oct 9, 12:11pm
Yup same here just a load of shyte
colin433,
Oct 9, 12:32pm
well, it worked on my clematis
solarboy,
Oct 9, 2:46pm
Same here - I guess our aphids haven't read abot the 'banana skin effect'. Neem oil spray didn't help either . I'm wondering what the professional rose growers and council garden staff use.
101chooks,
Oct 9, 4:03pm
i got some stuff from the warehouse and it worked
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.