Plant Doctor Archive

Water Gardens — Aphids on water plants

HOW do I deal with Aphids on my water plants?

THE standard answer is to hose them off and let the fish eat them. But some fish seem particularly uncooperative in this regard! I usually wipe the pests off with a damp sponge. If you have a bad problem, you should remove the plants from the pond, spray with spraying oil and leave them sitting in fresh water for a few days before returning them to the pond.

Others recommend spraying with oil in the pond. I am dubious about this, as it tends to sit on the surface and inhibit gas exchange.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.