This Clever Epsom Salt Trick Banishes Aphids From Your Garden

An aphid infestation is bad news unless you're a hungry ladybug. These little pear-shaped pests extract sap from foliage, weakening your plants. A soap and water spray can banish aphids from your garden, but it may work better if you add a third ingredient: Epsom salt, aka magnesium sulfate. The soap immobilizes the insects, then the salt helps clear them out. Though Epsom salt can destroy soft-bodied bugs, it isn't dangerous for most plants. In fact, some plants seem to benefit from a small amount of it. For example, Epsom salt may help avocado trees thrive by encouraging them to make more chlorophyll.

According to Shirley Bovshow, the gardening expert who runs the Foodie Gardener, this three-ingredient solution will evict aphids, but the Epsom salt isn't as important as the soap and water. "It is applied to make the plant more vigorous, which in turn makes the plant better able to withstand an aphid attack. Aphids generally seek out new, vulnerable growth or a weak plant," she told Outdoor Guide in this exclusive interview. Epsom salt is thought to give plants a magnesium boost. Bovshow recommends testing your soil's nutrient levels before adding this supplement since "most garden soils contain sufficient amounts of magnesium."

To make your aphid-fighting solution, blend 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt such as Amazon Basics Epsom salt soak, 2 teaspoons of Dr. Bronner's pure castile peppermint soap or another liquid soap, and a gallon of water. Place the solution in a spray bottle and apply it generously to all affected plants. Cover every surface of the plants with your homemade insecticide to make sure you don't miss any aphids.

In general, the best way to keep aphids out of your garden is by preventing them from moving in. This means monitoring your plants for signs of these pests and acting quickly if you find them. Shirley Bovshow of Foodie Gardener recommends looking for bunches of soft-bodied bugs and a few other indicators. "Aphids cause leaves to curl under and turn yellow," she explains. "Usually, they infest the underside of leaves and leave a sticky residue in their tracks. This 'honeydew' attracts ants." Deformed blossoms and fruit are another sneaky sign of pest problems such as aphid infestations.

When any of these problems arise, make a batch of soapy Epsom salt spray. This solution can also clear out spider mites, slugs, and some other pesky garden bugs, as well as helpful insects such as ladybugs and honeybees. In other words, once the infestation is gone, stop using this spray and look for ways to draw beneficial critters back to your garden — especially those that feast on aphids.

If the soap, water, and Epsom salt solution doesn't do the trick, there are a few other ways to boot aphids from your garden. Insecticidal soap such as Bonide ready-to-use spray is one option. Bovshow prefers two alternative methods. "I like to spray the aphids directly with a strong blast of water. The aphids are knocked off the plant and die from the water impact," she says, adding that "neem oil is also effective in suffocating aphids." Natria neem oil spray for plants is one such product to consider.