One of my petunia plants is infested with aphids. I tried some dawn dish detergent w/a little veggie oil and sprayed the plant. I tried not to get the flowers too much, but already the flowers are looking bleached where the solution hit them. Did I do something wrong (besides spray the flowers)? I only put a couple drops of soap & oil into a 18 oz spritzer...? I have also been relocating any daddy long legs I find onto the plant...do they eat aphids? I hope the soap solution doesn't kill them, too - if they're still there that is....
The flowers only last a day or so anyway. Just pick them off and don't worry about it. new ones will form in no time at all. Some days I pick EVERY flower off my hanging baskets so I don't have to do it later in the week because I know there is no way to get to it later and they rebound beautifully.
I have a 20oz spritzer filled with water and less than 1/4 tsp of soap & oil. It only seems to effect the fuchsia colored flowers, so I'm just going to keep spraying and remove the "bleached" flowers. Like you said, Carolyn - they'll be pinched off in a few days anyway.
Toad, A strong spray of water should help eliminate the aphids, too. I usually try the garden hose with my thumb over the end to spray them off...It really helps to get rid of the majority of them first and it also helps "clean up" the foliage, especially if you have ants "milking" them for their sugar waste.
