Aphids on Nasturtiums: Causes and Ways For Combating Them

Aphids on nasturtiums are the pests that will create a situation that diminishes your plant’s health via infestation at varying speeds. The damages that your growing Nasturtiums incur tend to increase the longer the infestation of aphids last on the plant.

So what makes these aphids pick your plant to attack, and what methods can you implement to resolve the infestation? Let’s go through the answers to these questions in detail to help combat the aphids you encounter; keep reading to learn about their causes and fixes.

Why Are Nasturtiums Getting Infested by Aphids?

Nasturtiums are getting infested by aphids because of having overcrowding environmental conditions, the plant growing in stressful conditions, and having the wrong predators or their absence. In addition, it can also be infested by ants, or due to being infected, and lastly, because of the seasonal variations.

Nasturtiums get infested similarly to other plants, with the major cause being high humidity and other environmental conditions. Plant weakness and improper growing procedures also contribute to the attacks you observe from aphids on your plant.

– Overcrowding and Environmental Conditions

Aphids have some environmental conditions that they prioritize when they plan to infest a plant, regardless of its type. They always thrive in places with high humidity and are warm and damp since it supports their habitation.

Stagnant air ventilation also promotes the habitation of aphids and allows them to breed comfortably on your plant with zero issues. Overcrowding is one way that reduces the airflow to your plant, making it the best target for aphid infestation. You would notice that, for this matter, you should expect the infestation when you notice little to no airflow in the location where your plant grows.

– Stressed Nasturtiums Plant

All plants experience stress and get weak when the nutrient requirements they need to grow optimally are unmet. However, this situation also occurs when the plants receive too many nutrients that exceed the optimal plant requirements, and as it grows as such, you will see the stressed conditions show on them.

Most issues with stress occur with the improper fertilization process implemented when growing the plant from the infant stages. When the plant is fertilized less than the right amount, it tends to provide the plant with nutrients that aren’t enough to solidify its defenses and keep it protected. So your nasturtiums might suffer from aphid infestations due to being stressed out from too much or too little nutrients.

– Wrong or No Natural Predators

The absence of predators is also a recipe for promoting the infestation of aphids on your nasturtiums outside its habitat. These predators are insects that exist as natural enemies to aphids and control their breeding by feeding on them. When there is the absence of these predators, you will find these pests thriving and growing without aiming to find any shelter.

This benefit will be absent if the natural predators are not present on your plant, giving aphids free roam on your nasturtiums. You will also get the same results if you get the wrong natural predators to control aphids since it won’t work out. It might cause more harm than good as the wrong predators might begin to feed on the plant or attract other pests.

– Ant Presence

You will always find ants wherever aphids stay, as these two share a special relationship that helps them get by. Ants are the protectors of aphids and do this in exchange for the extract that the aphids produce, which is honeydew. The relationship helps aphids stay longer on the plant they are infesting, and the ants stay with them for that long; as such, you will see them in harmony.

The ants don’t necessarily damage the plants but keep the aphids protected while they cause damage to your nasturtiums. Now, you must be mindful that if you find a colony of ants on your plant or its surroundings, then expect to see or experience an aphid infestation soon.

– Infected Plants

Having infected plants around your nasturtiums is another surefire way to get your favorite plant infested with aphids. Infected plants tend to be weak and will be attacked by aphids, but having your plant around promotes transmission. The aphids tend to move over to other plants in the area, making your nasturtiums a victim of infestation at this time.

When the infestation is already happening on the plant, this is a great place for them, to shelter, because the plant is already weak, and has no defense. Another source of infestation might be due to not completely eradicating aphids during a previous episode with your plant. In short, all these potential causes of the infestation that your favorite plant experiences via infection require careful observation.

– Seasonal Variation

The seasons also contribute to the infestation rate of aphids as some support and are partially against their activities. Seasons like spring and summer are times when the infestation of aphids takes a spike as their numbers increase rapidly because as the season begins to heat up, they will start to revitalize.

Autumn and winter have aphids reduce their activities but do not completely stop their infestation process on your nasturtiums. The former goes well with the life cycle of aphids with the warm temperature and creates a damp atmosphere for optimal breeding. However, the latter might sometimes even stop the breeding entirely or slow them down drastically due to the cooler weather.

What Are Ways to Get Rid of Aphids from Nasturtiums?

Ways to get rid of aphids on nasturtiums are to optimize the fertilization and growing procedure of the plant and try to use neem or horticultural oil on them. Moreover, you must also place reflective mulch, spray some water and insecticidal soap, and cultivate some companion plants.

You have all the details about the causes of aphid infestation and the way that these pests do it. Aphids attack your plants, especially when they are weak, but they also make them weaker to attack from diseases. Ensure you keep your plant protected from aphid infestation, as this also reduces the chance of it suffering from disease infections.

You can consider several solutions, including technical and homemade methods with usage depending on your knowledge. Some are also advisable to use indoors, while others are to best be used when growing plants outdoors.

– Optimal Fertilizing and Growing Procedures

Performing the optimal procedures is the first step to avoiding and preventing the infestation of aphids on your plant. Balancing your fertilizing process and providing the required amount of nutrients lets your plant grow healthily with stronger resistance to aphids. In addition to this, you must also reduce your pruning operations to an occasional frequency, and spacing out your plants also helps prevent any chance to attract aphids.

Optimal spacing allows proper ventilation, which stands against the best atmosphere that aphids thrive in, reducing their breeding. Also, ensure you pay attention to your plant when the seasons are changing, especially in the spring and summer, to notice ants. Performing all these tasks will help you repel aphids from infesting your plant and killing it while you watch.

– Using Neem and Horticultural Oil

Another solution that you can implement is using specific oils that help protect your Nasturtiums from potential infestation. The first is neem oil, obtained from a neem tree with some insecticidal properties that help you control aphid infestation, which is why it is a great choice for an organic solution.

It is packaged into a product and requires you to dilute it in a gallon of water with only a very small amount of its original concentration. Horticultural oil, on the other hand, works as a contact insecticide and helps you reduce the aphid population on your plant. It is also fairly easy to use in the same way as the neem products that you find around, making it a good solution.

– Reflective Mulch

The reflective mulch method is a special kind of solution as it uses a different solid product to ward off aphids. These mulches look like aluminum foil or silver plastics and chase off aphids by giving off a degree of heat.

The heat becomes unbearable for the aphids, making them far away from the source, thereby protecting your plant. It also has more benefits than just chasing off aphids infesting your favorite plant. The mulches help improve your plant’s absorption of nutrients from the soil without leaving out the nutrients from sunlight.

– Water Spray and Insecticidal soap

If you are searching for homemade methods to rid yourself of aphid infestation, then these two methods work best. Water spray is the easiest to use as you only need water with a spray bottle or hose to make this method work efficiently, and also a fast method that is available.

You use the spray bottle or hose with water to flush the clusters of these pests from the body of your Nasturtiums plant. The insecticidal soap works in a similar way as you dilute dish soap in water and then fill it into a spray bottle. You then spray on the parts of your plant, leave for a few hours, then wash and repeat daily til aphids are gone.

– Companion Planting and Natural Predators

You can incorporate biological methods by using companion methods or working to attract beneficial insects to your Nasturtiums. The companion method exists to chase away aphids by contact or smell, which is an essential trait for plant protection, such as garlic, basil, or chives.

At the same time, you should always prioritize the companion plants that actively or passively chase aphids to avoid getting plants that don’t work. Using beneficial pests also work as they trim down the aphid population by feeding on them and their eggs. These beneficial Nasturtium insects, like lacewings, and parasite wasps, do a great job at cutting down the number of aphids.

Conclusion

The details to help rid your plant of the aphid infestation that you are experiencing have been brought forward, remember the following anytime you are growing on the plant, regardless of the location:

• Nasturtiums are susceptible to attacks from aphids in every location.
• It’s essential that you take preventive measures by prioritizing the use of products like neem or getting organic soaps.
• Homemade methods like insecticide soaps and water sprays are easy to use.
• Overcrowding actively promotes the infestation of aphids on your plant.
• Avoid getting the wrong companion procedures when trying to use biological methods.

So, take up your motivation and put these solutions to use to save your plants from infestation. Also, remember to prioritize parasite wasps and lacewings when getting natural predators for your plant protection.