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How to get rid of aphids 

Plants infested by aphids are a pitiful site. Distorted growth, curled and yellowing leaves, weaved wax on the lateral buds and under the leaves, and lice-looking insects here and there. 

Aphids are pear-shaped insect pests that feed from the sap of plants. Considered as plants’ lice, aphids have many species and they vary in colors. They can be white, black, brown, black, red, and yellow.  

When severely infested, there is nothing you can do but pull out or cut the plant and then burn it all to stop these parasites from multiplying further and spreading to other plants. 

To avoid resorting into this, you can the follow the steps below to get rid of aphids early on. 

1. Walk around your garden in the morning to closely inspect the plants one by one. Look under the leaves and the sections where leaves meet the stems. Aphids love to lace their wax in these areas.
2. When aphids are just starting out to build their colony on their host plant, the plant’s leaves start to curl. Use your surgically gloved fingers or a piece of wet cotton buds to gently wipe the wax and the aphids off. Doing this ensures totally removing the aphids from the plants. When there are only a few of them, you can save the leaves and the stem without having to cut them off.
3. Be wary of newly purchased plants. They can be carrier of aphids. Carefully inspect them to be sure they don’t spread in your garden.
4. To keep aphids off your plants, mix 2 teaspoon of mild dishwashing soap with a liter of lukewarm water. Fill a spray bottle with it and spritz on the plants, making sure the mixture reaches the undersides of the leaves.
5. You can also make use of the last rinse of water you used in your laundry. Be sure you are using a biodegradable detergent though so you don’t do more harm to the plants, soil and other beneficial microorganisms.

Do these every now and then to prevent the aphids from coming back. Soon your garden will be back in good shape. 

How to start a vegetable pot garden 

Vegetable pot gardening is one good way to make your urban home green. It’s a perfect gardening solution for small yards or for no yards at all. You get to harvest fresh and organic vegetables as you cook. You also contribute to saving Mother Earth. 

Pot gardening is inexpensive and quite easy to maintain. Tending won’t take too much of your time. You don’t have to cultivate the soil every now and then. You don’t have to worry too much about weeding. You just have to water them at least once a day, preferably in the morning.

Tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, ginger, and garlic are only a few of the vegetables you can use for pot gardening. So next time you buy vegetables from the market, keep their seeds. 

1. You can immediately sprinkle fresh tomato seeds on a pot of moistened soil. Place it under the sun light and you’ll see them sprouting in the next few days.
2. Bell pepper seeds need to be air dried for a week before planting.
3. Let the onion, ginger or garlic sit on the soil and they will soon grow their roots.
4. You can also buy seeds of carrots, radishes, lettuce, and eggplant. These are suitable for pot gardening as well.
5. You can also make use of egg shells or trays to grow your seeds. Replant the vegetables in the potted soil when they sprout to about two inches. Egg shells and trays are biodegradable so you don’t have to remove them when replanting.
6. When your vegetables are already growing well, you can take them inside your home for a few days. You can alternate plants to bring inside so you’ll never have to buy fresh flowers again to adorn your table. Just put them in areas where they can still catch some sun light, e.g. by the windowsill. Return them outside after a week.