Petunias are exceptionally delicate flowers with stunning petals and a sweet, delightful fragrance. On top of that, they’re incredibly easy to grow.
That’s why people from all over the globe choose to plant these flowers in their gardens. It’s an easy way to add a vibrant pop of color to your backyard.
Plus, you won’t have to do much to ensure the petunias thrive. Yet, there are a few pests that can chip away at your plants and stop them from growing properly.
A great example of that is aphids. These little critters like to snack on petunias, which will deplete the plants of crucial nutrients.
So, if you’d like to learn how to get rid of aphids on petunias, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about removing the pest infestation.
From the effect of the little critters on the plants to the best pesticide to use, I’ll cover it all.
What Causes Aphids on Petunias?
Aphids are tiny insects with long legs, and a pear-shaped body covered in a soft exoskeleton. Plus, these critters can be pink, green, black, or even dusty gray.
From a distance, they seem like docile little creatures. Yet, don’t let their small size fool you.
Aphids can be incredibly aggressive and can wreak havoc on your flowers. That’s because their main food source is plant sap.
They’ll use their piercing mandibles to cut through stems and leaves and feed on the sweet nectar inside florae.
Unfortunately, petunias produce a lot of sap. That means the plants are the equivalent of an all-you-can-eat buffet for aphids.
The little critters will find a bed of petunias and set up camp. They’ll create little nests where they can feed on the plants and reproduce.
Do Aphids Kill Petunias?
Most of us are familiar with the process of photosynthesis. It’s when plants absorb sunlight using chlorophyll to produce food.
This is how plants get their main energy source that allows them to grow and develop. Yet, you have to remember that the sun is only out for a portion of the day.
Because of that, your petunias won’t be able to carry out photosynthesis at night. For that reason, they’ll need an alternative energy source.
That’s when sap comes into play. While the sun is out, plants will produce as much sugar as they can.
Then, they’ll convert this food into sap for storage. This allows your petunias to carry out normal life processes, even after the sun sets.
So, when aphids start snacking on the sap, it’ll lead to a few issues.
Effect of Aphids on Petunias
At first, the changes will be small and tough to notice. Your petunias will develop a few yellowish spots on their leaves and the flowers won’t bloom as often.
However, this won’t last for long.
That’s because aphids can reproduce quite rapidly. After a single fertilization cycle, a female critter can lay up to 150 eggs every two weeks.
Within a few weeks, you’ll have a full-blown infestation on your hands. As the number of aphids increases, the demand for sap will also rise.
The critters will keep feeding on the sweet nectar until they deplete your petunias. When that happens, your plants will struggle to survive.
Moving on, aphids produce honeydew as a by-product of feeding. This substance will stick to stems and leaves and inhibit photosynthesis.
Plus, it’ll create the perfect environment for mold to grow. Other than that, honeydew will attract insects like ants that can harm your plants.
In severe cases, your petunias may fade away completely.
Finally, aphids can spread a few viral infections to your petunias. This will lead to many developmental issues.
That’s why it’s crucial that you resolve an aphid infestation as soon as you notice it.
Do Petunias Attract Aphids?
The simple answer to this question is yes, since petunias produce sap regularly, they can attract aphids.
To help you understand this, let’s take a look at the aphid migration cycle. Typically, the critters will build a small colony on a plant until winter comes around.
At that point, the florae can no longer support the pests. So, they’ll take flight and go searching for a new host.
That’s when they’ll use their noses to pick up the scent of sap. They’ll zero in on the location of your petunia plants and set a course for landing.
On top of that, the sweet scent of the flowers acts as a beacon to all kinds of insects.
So, once the aphids land on the plant, they’ll begin chipping away at it one bite at a time.
However, petunias aren’t completely defenseless. The plants produce a sticky substance that they secrete on the stems and leaves.
This will make it much harder for the aphids to travel along the structures. That way, they won’t be able to pierce the stems and feed on the sap inside.
How to Get Rid of Aphids on Petunias Naturally
Now that you understand how an aphid infestation occurs and how dangerous it can be for your petunias, it’s time to dive into getting rid of the problem.
In this section, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of eliminating the critters without harming your plants.
Step 1: Wash Your Petunias
Right off the bat, the first step in getting rid of an aphid infestation is to wash your plants. Grab your garden hose and sprinkle a generous amount of water on the petunias.
Make sure to focus the water stream on the leaves and stems. The excess moisture will create a sudden change in the aphids’ environment and dislodge most of them from their positions.
Besides that, while the critters can swim, they’re not all that great at it. So, many of the aphids will drown.
Plus, the water should wash away any unhatched eggs that may be on the surface of the stems and leaves.
If there are only a few aphids on your petunias, this should get rid of most of the infestation. Yet, with hundreds of critters running around, you’ll need to put in a little extra work.
Step 2: Prune Your Petunias
The washing step should significantly reduce the aphid population on your petunias. However, to ensure you get rid of all the critters, you’ll need to grab a pair of garden shears.
Then, snip off any leaves with yellow patches or stems with major holes.
The pruning process will eliminate most of the spots that aphids use for easy access to sap. Plus, it’ll allow your petunias to grow new, healthy structures.
Step 3: Spray Your Petunias With a Repellent
At this point, your plants should be free of aphids. Yet, there’s always a chance the little critters will find their way back to your petunias.
So, to ensure the infestation doesn’t reoccur, you have to spray an aphid repellent. Most gardeners will use neem oil or a natural pesticide to control the aphid population.
These compounds should be effective at getting rid of the critters without harming your plants. However, there’s an easier solution.
You can spray your petunias with a soapy water mixture that’ll be just as effective and won’t break the bank. Start by filling a spray bottle with water and a few drops of dish soap.
Make sure the detergent you’re using doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals.
After that, sprinkle a generous amount of the mixture onto the leaves and stems. Lastly, you’ll need to repeat this process with your choice of repellent every few days to ensure the aphids stay away.
Final Thoughts
Aphids can wreak havoc on your petunias. They’ll use their sharp mandibles to pierce the stems and leave to get access to the sap inside.
This can lead to several issues with the plants’ health. So, you have to get rid of the infestation as soon as possible.
To do that, wash your petunias, prune them, and spray the stems and leaves with a natural repellent. You can use neem oil for the final step, but a little soapy water should do the trick.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.