Whether fresh garlic smells pleasant or stinks is in the eye of the beholder. In any case, aphids don't like the smell. Therefore, garlic broth helps to drive away the pests.
Garlic stock
Garlic broth, sometimes also called garlic tea, is one of the biological plant protection products. Its use does not pollute the environment. In addition, the decoction of Allium sativum, the botanical name of the garlic plant, has no negative consequences for human he alth or the beneficial insects in the garden. This also applies to aphids, because the tea does not kill the lice, but rather drives them away with its smell.
Craft
To make garlic tea you only need a few ingredients or utensils, which are usually available in every kitchen:
- sufficiently large pot
- Strainer (alternatively funnel and kitchen paper)
- Water
- Garlic cloves
Tip:
Make sure the garlic is fresh. Dried or shriveled cloves are not suitable for the brew because they do not produce enough of a garlic smell.
The amount of garlic cloves and water required depends on how much tea is to be produced. The following information serves as orientation:
- 2 large or 3 medium garlic cloves per liter of water
- 50 grams of garlic in five liters of water
- 100 grams of garlic in three liters of water
Alternatively, you can also make a more concentrated brew. However, this must be diluted before use:
- 75 – 80 grams of garlic per liter of water
- dilute in a ratio of 1:5 to 1:10
Prepare
Preparing the brew is easy and only takes a few minutes:
- Peel garlic cloves
- cut into rough pieces
- put in the pot
- pour boiling water over it
- alternatively: add garlic pieces to boiling water
- simmer for ten minutes
- pull from the stove
Once the stock has finished cooking, it has to steep and cool down. How long it should drag is assessed differently. The information here ranges from one – to three – to 24 hours.
Tip:
Since garlic broth can only be used when it is cool, it is recommended to let the broth steep until it is cold.
Strain
Small amounts of brew can be strained directly into the spray bottle. To do this, use a funnel lined with kitchen paper. If the brew is to be strained into another vessel or container beforehand, a fine-mesh kitchen sieve is used.
Use against aphids
If you notice the infestation at an early stage, spray the decoction directly onto the lice. If it has already progressed, spray the entire plant while it is dripping wet. Don't forget the undersides of the leaves.
Repeat treatment
- for outdoor plants every two to three days or
- in closed rooms every four to five days,
until the lice are gone. As a precaution, spray neighboring plants as well, even if you can isolate the affected plant.
Note:
The ideal time for spraying is early morning or evening so that the sun does not burn the wet leaves.
For preventive use, the first spray is carried out at a temperature of plus 10 degrees Celsius. Accordingly, the spraying season begins in April or May, depending on the weather. Then spray the plants with garlic broth every two weeks in spring and summer. From late summer to October, it is enough to spray them dripping wet once a month.
Durability
If you have any broth left over after successfully fighting the aphids, you can freeze it. This way it will last up to a year. If you want to produce a larger quantity for an acute case, you should keep in mind that the brew will last for around ten days. If it begins to take on a musty smell, its effectiveness against the plague becomes increasingly weaker.
