Everyone who has a garden knows the annoying pests - hardly any plant is safe from aphids and they spread at breakneck speed. If you want to avoid chemical pesticides, basil can be of good use for pest control.
Can basil help against aphids?
The popular culinary herb, which feels most comfortable in warm temperatures and in a sunny location, canbe used as an effective and natural remedy to kill aphids on various plants without chemicals fight.
How is basil used as a natural plant protection?
In order to use basil to combat aphids, atea must be made from it. You can use both fresh basil and dried herbs for such an infusion: simply brew with boiling water and let the steeped tea cool. This infusion is then used undiluted to spray (with a standard spray bottle (€27.00 on Amazon)) the affected plants.
Tip
Basil tea or decoction works as a home remedy not only against aphids, but also against the dreaded spider mite and whitefly.
How do you recognize an aphid infestation?
An infestation with aphids can be recognized very quickly by the fact that the plant in question iscovered with many small animals, which always appear in colonies and both on the shoots and on can sit on the leaves. Aphids are only a few millimeters long and excrete sticky honeydew. In the herb garden, for example, they attack chives and mint. Aphids don't always have to be black: the pests also come in other colors such as brown, white and green.
Can basil itself be attacked by aphids?
Although basil can be used as a natural plant protection agent against aphids, it is alsopossiblethat basil itself is attacked by aphids - both on planted basil in the garden and on clumps of herbs in the pot Window sills.
The reason for aphid infestation is thebright green color of the basil, to which the pests are almost magically attracted. In a mixed culture, for example with thyme, rosemary or lavender, aphid infestation is less common due to the deterrent effect of these plants.
Tip
Provide beneficial insects with a place to retreat
To prevent aphid infestation from occurring in the first place, it is advisable to provide a place in the garden for the beneficial insects whose diet includes the pests to which they can retreat and linger. Birds, ground beetles and ladybirds, for example, feel extremely comfortable in a hedge or a hollow tree trunk and go in search of food from there.
