keep up the fantastic work please. "Insects, disease and weeds aren't a problem: they should be our professors." It takes decades to embrace such wisdom and it is rare gems like you that echo it to the public and give us that need it a reminder.
Kinda like ppl or cars. Like diabetes, its often not the main problem but an indicator of a bad, usually high sugar diet. Like one guy junked his car cuz it had no power steering and the battery kept dying. So the guy i know who bought it noticed it had no belt. So he got a new belt at the store and jumpstarted it. Ta da, the powe steering worked again and it stopped dying from the battery not charging. He got $1,250 for a car he paid like $220 for including parts.
As a 20 year old who is just getting into gardening, you have taught me a lot Stefan! thanks for what you do and I enjoyed your logical thought process throughout the video
A good deter is putting thorny branch cuttings around the area of the tree you dont what these adorable cats in. Also I dig an area with dirt where is ok. I turn it over as needed.
It would be great to have an aphid tree be the determining factor in an episode of law and order svu or a similar show. In an ice t voice "Forensics said the aphids were on that tree because of too much nitrogen... turns out the perp pissed on the tree everyday... and that's how we got his dna."
This is the best information I’ve found. I’ve researched why I have aphids and all the information was what to spray. Nothing about why they are there. Best most helpful info ever.
I wanted to say thank you and also tell how much I enjoy your channel. Nature is truly a wonderful teacher, full of wisdom, your angle on things are not only informative but they are also helpful in other areas outside of the orchard. I have CRPS/RSD and have chronic pain 24/7 similar to cancer, I just want to tell you that your channel brings me joy and I am locked up with pain and have been for about 12 years. What you do has meaning and is very valuable.
This spring we added dried cow manure around the garden. Strawberries, cherry tree and pruim tree really enjoy it. Almost no aphids this year. We dispersed it somewhere in march I believe. We still have lots of places in the garden that looks greyisch and really need a good doses of compost. What /i saw with aphids is abundance of ants. They carry the aphids to their places and enjoy the sweet secretion by the aphids.
My uncle, RIP, had an orchard that I was too young to pay attention too and all that valuable information is lost... I have to thank you for sharing your back to nature care of orchards. Never knew it was that in-depth and that bugs were a sign of something not right that can be fixed if we work with nature, awesome stuff!
Dude. You are smart. I've subscribed to hundreds of gardening channels and have been farming for 30 years and you touch on the right stuff. I've trained under Dr. Elaine Ingham and Chris Trump and have dived into microscopy. Your approach is dope, you're a real humble guy and the info is top notch. You are now my favorite channel. Please don't ever stop. Good job and thank you.
Thanks but none of this is new! It’s just a synthesis or synergetic recombination of information that’s been out there for a long time. In the past it’s been lost or buried in books, now we can take one golden tidbit of information from a book and present it in a video and a whole new audience ‘discovers’ it. I’ve been greatly influenced by Sir Albert Howard’s great writings. Check out ‘the soil and health’ by him. It’s totally dope.
You seem a philosopher, educator and an entertainer as well! Reminded me something that I learned 35 years ago in my entomology class! Glad to see that you’re so compassionate to these very fragile & vulnerable insect-aphids!
🤔 overabundance of nitrogen.... I guess this explains why they're such a common pest in aquaponic systems, seeing as they basically pump nitrates into the hydroponic section of the system. This actually makes sense (suddenly). Thanks for the insight....
Love your take on life. It's not a problem, it's an indicator... You must have such a positive view on life. Additionally, I appreciate your knowledge. Thank you.
I had aphids in my aloe plant this past week. I loosened the soil, stuck it outside for the day and sprayed in with Neem oil. Worked like a charm. Aphids are gone. I'm really glad I found your channel. Your a real version of Bill Nye the Science guy lol
@@StefanSobkowiak Thank you for responding. Personally, i believe that we live in Eden. Unfortunately, we have been destroying it for decades. Not that long ago, i planted about 500 corn plants in Jutiapa, Guatemala. Would you believe that most of my neighbours laughed at me because i did not fumigate them... Instead, i planted lots of sunflowers... And guess what? That attracted a lot of birds ... To make a story short, i invited a few people over. And of all the corn that we reaped that night, only one had a pest in it. Thank you Stefan. You are one of the architect of the new generation that is 'returning' to this planet!
What a great information,I am almost at the end of my studies in agronomy and i never hear that information!!!What a great channel. I have to learn many things from your majesty.
Two or so years ago my husband broke 12 ribs and his collarbone after falling out of a tree. Since then he doesn't do the pruning I do. I'm so glad that you're on the mend. Thank you so much for your videos they mean an awful lot.
Oh my! I just heard about your fall. Please take care of yourself! I do hope you don't quit, I just found your channel and am learning so much. The planet needs you. Thank you.
Year 1 into gardening and I get lucky. I find what's looking like the one channel that would be teaching me to think of a pest as an 'indicator' in aid of finding the problem. That mindset makes all the difference for me between enjoying this new pastime... or not. Subscribed, liked, and shared. Thanks very much.
Thanks, Stefan! I always wondered how the commercial soybean field next door can be covered in aphids while I don’t have a single one in my garden or orchard. Maybe it’s because I don’t coat everything in synthetic fertilizers like they do. Your videos always make me think and give me a new perspective on things. Many thanks.
That's true, the fields of intensive monoculture next to the house, separated by a metal mesh and pyracantha from our garden, every summer are covered with aphids, they start in mid-spring with some green aphids and for summer there are black and yellow, but to hundreds at each leaf end. Instead, our vegetable garden and cut flower garden do not, even having wheat and cereals that I grow for flower arrangements and the birds. We have our property surrounded by crop fields, such as wheat, oats, in which they put pesticides and fertilizers. When the neighbors do it and we have to close all the windows and not ventilate the house, because it gives us migraines, we don't wash our clothes either because they make our skin itch. the rabbits have disappeared, we used to see them every spring and autumn at sunrise and sunset. We had a fairly large population of small eagles that were in charge of snakes and others, they are no longer there. in the last 4 years we have been finding their fallen bodies in the fields. Thanks to the quarantine, the land could not be tilled last year and when they left it they planted sunflowers for the first time. and that crop no longer passed 3 or 4 times with a spray tractor on the crop as they do with cereals. So this year we have seen 2 little eagles again. I have to say that whenever they fumigate the next 2 or 3 days we find a hedgehog run over on the asphalt. I think they are disoriented from intoxication.
You a re an absolute wealth of real world knowledge hats off to you sir I wish I had a garden big enough to use what I learn from you and one day I will Thankyou for your excellent videos
Myrtles until I neglected to fertilize them heavily this year. I figured it would enhance the blooming...but have more blooms and no aphids since forgetting to over-fertilize
Omg, I’m here looking for ways to get rid of aphids. And u answered the cause of it. I just bought a new fertiliser a week ago, now I started seeing aphids. That’s why! Thank u so much
Thanks, SO interesting, WE do back to eden gardening, and compost in place with kitchen scraps, and water fountains to bring in the birds, seems to work and love to help others garden too, Thanks, again.
I felt that this video emphasized on not fertilizing and secondly on learning the symptoms and correcting the problem. sometimes fertilizing is the way to correct the problem. Not everyone has fertile soil like yours. Great video.
Thank you now I know why my mums silver birch tree has them, the bird feeders are hung in the tree, you made me think but by the end of the video I had worked it out. Can’t thank you enough. Keep up the fantastic work and informative content.
I shared the story and video with my husband as he has a habit of spreading nitrogen around too ( : We love your down to earth method of presenting this material. Thanks for lthe way you think!
You’re the first I’ve personally heard talk about Aphids, ants, etc. being the ones to point to a problem and not the blame of a problem! Thank you for that, I’m a beginner veggie gardener and in the last couple years I’ve found ant piles galore and so much they became a hazard for my dogs to lay out in the yard. Yesterday I saw some small ones on my jalapeño plant and dusted some diatomaceous earth because of course I worry about aphids and ants killing my plants but again I never thought about them being the indicators of imbalance.
Wow, This really opened my eyes on this problem. Started seeing aphids last year and still seem to have the same problem this year. I will definetly change the way I fertilize. Thank you sir.
This is the second video that I've had of yours to be recommended to me. I will admit hands down that I am VERY impressed!!! You are an inspiration and I hope to be like you one day!
Almost had a heart attack at 9.57 with that sound effect as the phone zoomed across the screen - was listening so intently to the fantastic info, leaning in and then - whoosh! That noise. Terrific knowledge you're passing on, thanks. The dandelions info on another link is spot on and I'm going to let them stay in the grass till they do their job. This aphids one will hopefully help my plum tree - I planted clover to return nitrogen to the dreadful soil around our newbuild place, so now I'll have to look at rebalancing the soil in its vicinity. It's also covered in ladybugs doing their job. My cats do their business under the blackthorn, so there's the reason it has aphids this year... Thank you.
glad your up okay. love the aphid call to arms call. made me chuckle. 🌻🐛 I'm fighting the aphids on my milkweed Bush not fertilize. but have spearmint plant near. would that bother ??? I can move the mint . ??.?????
I happen to come across your TH-cam just checking on dandelions and OMG i love watching you you are so interesting and im really learning alot so keep up the great videos and i have not been abel to find your virtual tour
Wendylee Kalliris thanks so much for the awesome feedback Wendylee I will be adding the direct link into the info section of our videos (great idea thanks)
Thank you! I 💖 the vid. So helpful. 😘 so glad you survived your fall. My dad fell pruning a tree and he had permanent frontal lob damage. 🤕 I’m glad you are doing well. Be safe young man. 🌼
Oh interesting video!! I didn't know chicken manure was high in nitrogen. That's what I used to fertilize my garden and my strawberry harvest has been terrible this year. They got very bushy and put on tons of new growth but hardly any berries - i think I found the answer to why!
You are so correct. However, the late, great dr carey reams would say, about pests invading your food crops, is that they are there to get rid of a food plant that is not fit for human consumption--not necessarily due to too much fertilization (although that does make the nutrients unbalanced, as you say, which is a problem), but also cuz there aren't enough minerals in the soil, which are required in order for most fertilizer to even work. So, people get rid of the pests and then eat a plant that doesn't nourish them. We must be getting our soils tested for adequate minerals and other needed things (like organic matter, etc), and then add those recommended minerals and things. we used to find bag worms on our spindly apple trees until we tested the soil and added recommended calcium, potassium, etc etc etc. After that, the trees filled out, grew, and flourished, and we've never even had worms in them anymore; the same is the case with our corn--no more corn worms.
I had aphids on both a plum and an elderberry this year.... now I know why.. these are in the area that my chickens and ducks hang out so lots of nitrogen..... question? How do I lock up some of this nitrogen as the chickens are not going away? Also could this cause a decline in fruit production. The plum blossomed really well and had lots of bud fruit but aborted most of the bud fruit. Thanks for the great videos.
Greeeat. My car and windows get smeared with aphid sap every year around the end of June. Wasps are attracted to the sap on my car. The trees along the road are covered with aphids. The neighbors walking at least 20 dogs 2x a day are contributing to nitrogen as they habitually visit the same trees every day!
My perfectly healthy plant (for years), suddenly had mealybugs infestation all over the leaves. This happened because the house lady has been watering the plant every day without my knowledge (I normally water the plant every morning before going to work). So basically it was over watered... the plant was stressed and finally infested by mealybugs. I pruned the plant and told the lady to NOT water the plant. Now the plant is as healthy as ever.
How do you know if you overwater your plants? I know it's dependent on the plant type, and you shouldn't flood the roots, and I have a little indicator to tell me how much water is in the earth, but are there other ways to see if you overwater them? Is once daily a good guideline?
@@bunnysupreme74 Depends on the plant. I water them every other day. But to reiterate, depends on the plant. How do you its over watered? If the plant is yellowing despite your best effort watering them, time to take a step back. Normally the outer soil should not feel wet when you touch it. Poke 2 inch inside the soil and it should be a bit wet there.
@@smaug.the.stupendous thank you! Some plants like a lot of wetness, so like you said, it depends. And my planters have a way to drain out the water, so I guess i don't have as much of a risk. Also regarding the yellowing: I heard it could also be caused by too much sunlight. Guess I will have to experiment to see what works, if that happens. Thank you for answering and for sharing your knowledge!
So true! I live in an apartment complex for older adults. We have a roof top garden with raised boxes to grow in. Last year, the complex gave each grower a large bag of Miracle-Gro soil to refresh their box. I planted my box and it was growing beautifully. Then... I noticed a bazillion aphids! I pulled all my plants and treated with a natural repellent. Then.. I replanted. I believe that the Miracle-Gro promoted the aphid growth.
I water my plants with dirty aquarium water, so it's probly high in nitrogen and probly why I have so many aphids on one group of succulents I have. But they only like the ones under my covered patio because they're no ladybugs. They rest of my yard isn't to bad beside the occasional aphid on the roses.
Thanks Stefan! The waterlogged soil must be the culprit. In the past, I have over irrigated in that area. I hope that if I am more careful, it will right itself in future years. I will leave the tree as it, and the predators will have some food. The fact that it does flower every year and gets leaves as well must mean it has a chance? I hope so. Thank you! I always get helpful information from you. You helped me last year finally figure out how to ripen pears from my Keifer pear tree.
Omg you are right! I had a problem with aphids on my parsley last year ...and after a watering it with baking soda ..I was shocked...all of them were gone! ..thank you for your video..
Wonder how this applies in an aquaponic system where you constantly have natural fertilization happening due to the nitrification process? I really love your information and your style of delivering information. We bought your movie and love it and hope to use your system when we set up our permaculture orchard
I think woodchips and shredded leaves were advised somewhere above, the idea being calcium from this type of mulch will use the nitrogen in soil to decompose, hence less nitrogen in the end.
Thank you for sharing. Love your informative jolly style, brings humour lol. Enjoyed it so far and will continue to look at your other vids soon ✌️❤️🍀🌟☀️🍏🍅🐦🌸🎶
I agree! This year I noticed excessive sap leaking from my mock orange shrub (8 - 10 feet tall) onto my walk way to the front door. Along this walkway I've always notice trails of ants in the past. Last week I was trimming the shrub and noticed a lot of aphids landing on my arm. I've also notice a trail of ants across the concrete walkway to that shrub. While trimming I've noticed ants & aphids on the branches. I've also learn that ants herd aphids for their "honeydew". Put it all together and it explains the ants, aphids, and the leaking sap on the ground. Oh, i do not fertilize that shrub at all and i don't go urinating on it either. LOL
Exactly! I agree with you. There are some trees at the border of our garden which have never been fertilized (almond trees and wild peaches). This year they are swarmed with ants and aphids.
Thank you for your video! I got some aphids on my red currant bush this year, and many videos just tell me to pesticide or wash them away. But now I know what is the main source of my problem! 🙏👍
I know that we now get a lot of aphids on black currant bushes. It started when we had more and more houses built around us, almost encircling our backyard. I live in zone 8b and the way to get rid of them we just got recommended to release Aphidoletes aphidimyza. We will see. We bought them from Evergreen Growers Supply, LLC Oregon.
This makes sense. A previous owner had horses so my apple trees have aphids. I hope you have a video on June Bugs. Those monsters turn apple leaves into brown lace.
The red aphids look like Goldenrod aphids to me. Goldenrod often get them when the plant stresses itself out by trying to produce the maximum amount of seed. With your plant in bloom, that might well be a possibility.
You're right. I have an issue with grass growing uncontrollably in my yard when I moved in. So, I let nature take its course and now I have a perfectly healthy lawn. Plenty of worms, and a variety of plant life. The next thing i think is to start a small yard orchard. This is where I'll need help.
I like the way you look at things/nature. VERY informative. I'll use chicken manure instead of very diluted 20-20-20 ( with recuperated rain water) in my garden and wildflower bed. Rainwater already contains some nitrogen....and some nasty chemicals also :-( No aphids here anyway right now, tons of ladybugs and hungry birds.
I absolutely love watching your videos for the information you convey. You are a natural (and great) teacher! I am sorry to hear about your fall. Be careful, take care of yourself, but do not ever stop! You have a gift and I am glad you share it! My garden is too!!! :)
Omg, you’re completely right! Aphids were driving me crazy, and all the answers I was getting it’s how to get rid of them, not the cause of them. Thank you so much!!!
Thanks for this video! I've been battling aphids in my little balcony garden and had the feeling it always got worse after I fertilised it, seems like my intuition was right!! So I'm curious, are there any other pests that get attracted by other NPK imbalances or other nutritional imbalances in the soil? Seems like balancing out the nutrition in the soil could be a better way of dealing with pests than spraying all sorts of solutions on your plants, which will only help temporarily.
I've been using blood meal to fertilize my potted plants and I have never seen as many aphids as I have this year......this explains everything! Thank you sooooo much for this video!!!
Wow!!!! I didn’t know that about aphids thank you very much. 🙂 God always has a messages and a reason for something. Now I know even those little buggers have a purpose. 😀
Ha, I guessed the urine issue. I like your approach to all things in nature. For example, aphids are not a problem. They indicate the problem. I'm sure I will learn much from you and please be careful. We don't spring back from falls like we did when we were 20.
How do you get rid of Aphids? (if you do)
Lacewing Larvae th-cam.com/video/7jFAkOX8y3s/w-d-xo.html
You are agood man for posting your videos.. very informative ,straight to the point.. thanks again... Keep on keepin on.HoHoHo Green Giant😁
Stefan Sobkowiak What are the plastic white pottles who hanging ure fruit trees?.
Sevin dust it kills 65 insects
Thanks Gonna try that!
Don't quit. I just found your channel! It's just about the most informative permaculture channel out there!
Wes Baumguardner wow thanks Wes that’s a huge compliment! We’re both glad you’re enjoying the channel so far 👍
Wow thanks.
and is it just me or is zack a ninja behind the camera too
I agree with Wes! ^
Me too! We love you Stefan! You keep us laughing and that can be rare these days. Also your videos are very informative. From Nova Scotia
The best permaculture "joke" in years: "Aphids are a great indicator of YOUR HUSBAND PISSING ON YOUR TREE!" lol
AND "POOPS" IN THE COMPOST PILE!😂
That lady bug was moving around like a Roomba vacuum cleaner.
lol
You’ve revealed the roomba ingeneer’s secret! 😂
😂😂😂
Yes, lady bugs ear aphids ! Aphids destroy roses and anything they are on
@@wynettegreer3812 you got that right
keep up the fantastic work please. "Insects, disease and weeds aren't a problem: they should be our professors." It takes decades to embrace such wisdom and it is rare gems like you that echo it to the public and give us that need it a reminder.
Well it took me 5 years of batting to come to grips with that sentence and embrace it rather than fighting it.
That’s deep
Kinda like ppl or cars. Like diabetes, its often not the main problem but an indicator of a bad, usually high sugar diet. Like one guy junked his car cuz it had no power steering and the battery kept dying. So the guy i know who bought it noticed it had no belt. So he got a new belt at the store and jumpstarted it. Ta da, the powe steering worked again and it stopped dying from the battery not charging. He got $1,250 for a car he paid like $220 for including parts.
As a 20 year old who is just getting into gardening,
you have taught me a lot Stefan! thanks for what you do and I enjoyed your logical thought process throughout the video
And I feel like I haven’t even share half of accumulated observation.
“Fruit trees only need 20 urinations to get it’s dosage per year.” ... the more you know.
Carl Williams haha 👍
I have always spread it around among many trees but maybe not quite that lite...just seems a shame to waste it.
I think there are some plants which are susceptible to Aphids. I have found Aphids where no fertilizer is used
spoken with a straight face! lol
@@muivah "Fertilizer balance" is very important. One of the elements that my soil lacks, here in Mid-Missouri, is Boron.
That explains our rose issue. The cats next door are using the rose bed as thier litter box.
A good deter is putting thorny branch cuttings around the area of the tree you dont what these adorable cats in. Also I dig an area with dirt where is ok. I turn it over as needed.
Thank you for your common sense approach to living WITH our gardens.
It would be great to have an aphid tree be the determining factor in an episode of law and order svu or a similar show. In an ice t voice "Forensics said the aphids were on that tree because of too much nitrogen... turns out the perp pissed on the tree everyday... and that's how we got his dna."
Dont want aphids from that tree biteing ya, biproxie zeese from that 1's piss,ewhhheeewwww!!!!
😂😂😂
Lol..wth are you growing.
@@DavidfromMichigan you mean what’s he smoking?
It's such a pleasure to listen to someone who is so knowledgable. Thank you for being so generous.
That ladybug looked so cute! Like a little vacuum looking for those pesky aphids. 🤣
This is the best information I’ve found. I’ve researched why I have aphids and all the information was what to spray. Nothing about why they are there. Best most helpful info ever.
I wanted to say thank you and also tell how much I enjoy your channel. Nature is truly a wonderful teacher, full of wisdom, your angle on things are not only informative but they are also helpful in other areas outside of the orchard. I have CRPS/RSD and have chronic pain 24/7 similar to cancer, I just want to tell you that your channel brings me joy and I am locked up with pain and have been for about 12 years. What you do has meaning and is very valuable.
Your videos are a gift to humanity
Thank you and the planet thanks you.
mynameforever1 wow thanks for the kind words you’re awesome
This spring we added dried cow manure around the garden. Strawberries, cherry tree and pruim tree really enjoy it. Almost no aphids this year. We dispersed it somewhere in march I believe. We still have lots of places in the garden that looks greyisch and really need a good doses of compost. What /i saw with aphids is abundance of ants. They carry the aphids to their places and enjoy the sweet secretion by the aphids.
I've seen ant populations destroy implanted lady bug cultures, killed them off in days
Thanks, We need more people like you to help educate the rest of us who want to know about gardening/farming in an organic way.
Kev Wright you’re very welcome we’re glad you enjoyed it and there’s more to come :)
My uncle, RIP, had an orchard that I was too young to pay attention too and all that valuable information is lost... I have to thank you for sharing your back to nature care of orchards. Never knew it was that in-depth and that bugs were a sign of something not right that can be fixed if we work with nature, awesome stuff!
Dude. You are smart. I've subscribed to hundreds of gardening channels and have been farming for 30 years and you touch on the right stuff. I've trained under Dr. Elaine Ingham and Chris Trump and have dived into microscopy. Your approach is dope, you're a real humble guy and the info is top notch. You are now my favorite channel. Please don't ever stop. Good job and thank you.
Thanks but none of this is new! It’s just a synthesis or synergetic recombination of information that’s been out there for a long time. In the past it’s been lost or buried in books, now we can take one golden tidbit of information from a book and present it in a video and a whole new audience ‘discovers’ it. I’ve been greatly influenced by Sir Albert Howard’s great writings. Check out ‘the soil and health’ by him. It’s totally dope.
Yet he can't discern between a ladybug vs asian lady beetle.
@@fcuk_xno u can’t
Wow!Thanks for this info!Never knew why but when I stopped using Miracle Grow and went organic,years ago.Never had another aphid.Now I know!
You seem a philosopher, educator and an entertainer as well! Reminded me something that I learned 35 years ago in my entomology class! Glad to see that you’re so compassionate to these very fragile & vulnerable insect-aphids!
Wow Tarek someone else who’s compassionate towards the less loved insects. I can see why you studied entomology.
🤔 overabundance of nitrogen.... I guess this explains why they're such a common pest in aquaponic systems, seeing as they basically pump nitrates into the hydroponic section of the system. This actually makes sense (suddenly). Thanks for the insight....
deadfred821 you’re welcome glad you enjoyed it
Love your take on life. It's not a problem, it's an indicator... You must have such a positive view on life. Additionally, I appreciate your knowledge. Thank you.
You’re welcome and yes I tend to be an optimist.
You’re welcome and yes I tend to be an optimist.
I had aphids in my aloe plant this past week. I loosened the soil, stuck it outside for the day and sprayed in with Neem oil. Worked like a charm. Aphids are gone. I'm really glad I found your channel. Your a real version of Bill Nye the Science guy lol
YOU ARE THE BEST! i knew you were the right teacher as soon as you didnt suggest poisons or pesticides. thank you for understanding nature
That was seriously an excellent education. Thank You. Never knew this.
Now I know why the aphids appeared one fine morning. 🙏🙏
From Quebec, Canada...
Thank you for sharing.
The whole planet earth needs you my friend!
We need you.
Merci Mr Gagnon.
@@StefanSobkowiak Thank you for responding. Personally, i believe that we live in Eden. Unfortunately, we have been destroying it for decades.
Not that long ago, i planted about 500 corn plants in Jutiapa, Guatemala. Would you believe that most of my neighbours laughed at me because i did not fumigate them... Instead, i planted lots of sunflowers... And guess what? That attracted a lot of birds ...
To make a story short, i invited a few people over. And of all the corn that we reaped that night, only one had a pest in it.
Thank you Stefan. You are one of the architect of the new generation that is 'returning' to this planet!
What a great information,I am almost at the end of my studies in agronomy and i never hear that information!!!What a great channel. I have to learn many things from your majesty.
Two or so years ago my husband broke 12 ribs and his collarbone after falling out of a tree. Since then he doesn't do the pruning I do. I'm so glad that you're on the mend. Thank you so much for your videos they mean an awful lot.
Oh my! I just heard about your fall. Please take care of yourself! I do hope you don't quit, I just found your channel and am learning so much. The planet needs you. Thank you.
Year 1 into gardening and I get lucky. I find what's looking like the one channel that would be teaching me to think of a pest as an 'indicator' in aid of finding the problem. That mindset makes all the difference for me between enjoying this new pastime... or not. Subscribed, liked, and shared. Thanks very much.
That is awesome! Yes mindset matters.
Thanks, Stefan! I always wondered how the commercial soybean field next door can be covered in aphids while I don’t have a single one in my garden or orchard. Maybe it’s because I don’t coat everything in synthetic fertilizers like they do. Your videos always make me think and give me a new perspective on things. Many thanks.
Susan Peterson so true stay away from i call the synthetics man made chems . Natural is amazing. Grow your on food.
That's true, the fields of intensive monoculture next to the house, separated by a metal mesh and pyracantha from our garden, every summer are covered with aphids, they start in mid-spring with some green aphids and for summer there are black and yellow, but to hundreds at each leaf end. Instead, our vegetable garden and cut flower garden do not, even having wheat and cereals that I grow for flower arrangements and the birds. We have our property surrounded by crop fields, such as wheat, oats, in which they put pesticides and fertilizers. When the neighbors do it and we have to close all the windows and not ventilate the house, because it gives us migraines, we don't wash our clothes either because they make our skin itch. the rabbits have disappeared, we used to see them every spring and autumn at sunrise and sunset. We had a fairly large population of small eagles that were in charge of snakes and others, they are no longer there. in the last 4 years we have been finding their fallen bodies in the fields. Thanks to the quarantine, the land could not be tilled last year and when they left it they planted sunflowers for the first time. and that crop no longer passed 3 or 4 times with a spray tractor on the crop as they do with cereals. So this year we have seen 2 little eagles again. I have to say that whenever they fumigate the next 2 or 3 days we find a hedgehog run over on the asphalt. I think they are disoriented from intoxication.
Good looking out!
@@TMBgarden So sad! ;( I hope you don't have kids in the house! :O
@@JonathanGillies I don't, we have pets, but my neighbors, they do have littles childs.
Valuable advice on the topic of aphids! I took plenty of notes and will observe and make the necessary changes in my garden.
You a re an absolute wealth of real world knowledge hats off to you sir I wish I had a garden big enough to use what I learn from you and one day I will Thankyou for your excellent videos
Kieran Roberts that’s awesome we’re glad you’re enjoying our content :) thanks for sharing
How about a property line?
“Always grab enough for a handful” is the best way to eat in the garden
Myrtles until I neglected to fertilize them heavily this year. I figured it would enhance the blooming...but have more blooms and no aphids since forgetting to over-fertilize
Omg, I’m here looking for ways to get rid of aphids. And u answered the cause of it. I just bought a new fertiliser a week ago, now I started seeing aphids. That’s why! Thank u so much
I just love all your videos! Your enthusiasm is infectious!
Thanks, SO interesting, WE do back to eden gardening, and compost in place with kitchen scraps, and water fountains to bring in the birds, seems to work and love to help others garden too, Thanks, again.
You have a cosmic way of speaking, similar to Terence McKenna. You are compelling! Thank you for putting together this very educational entertainment
Terence Macias you’re very welcome, we’re glad you’re enjoying the channel
Dude look like The Professor off Money Heist
This video has saved me the effort of so much typing explanations to so many gardeners with aphid problems. Thank you so much
Glad to save your fingers.
Will look at the video you suggested... my prayers for continued recovery and happiness in growing 🤗
A big thank you from a beginner gardener from Poland!
I felt that this video emphasized on not fertilizing and secondly on learning the symptoms and correcting the problem. sometimes fertilizing is the way to correct the problem. Not everyone has fertile soil like yours. Great video.
Thank you now I know why my mums silver birch tree has them, the bird feeders are hung in the tree, you made me think but by the end of the video I had worked it out. Can’t thank you enough. Keep up the fantastic work and informative content.
I just found your channel too. Really informative. Glad you're on the road to recovery after your fall. Keep up the great work.
The thing I love about nature is that it's mostly self-correcting. Great video!!!
The man and the lemon tree cracked me up. LOL
I shared the story and video with my husband as he has a habit of spreading nitrogen around too ( : We love your down to earth method of presenting this material. Thanks for lthe way you think!
@@Trendlespin Have him add wood ash from time to time..helps
Me cracked up too!!
I have lemon and lime citrus trees that sometimes get white flies any particular reason you may know?.
Best advice on controlling aphids I have come across so far
right eveyone else wants to throw chenicals at them.
You’re the first I’ve personally heard talk about Aphids, ants, etc. being the ones to point to a problem and not the blame of a problem! Thank you for that, I’m a beginner veggie gardener and in the last couple years I’ve found ant piles galore and so much they became a hazard for my dogs to lay out in the yard. Yesterday I saw some small ones on my jalapeño plant and dusted some diatomaceous earth because of course I worry about aphids and ants killing my plants but again I never thought about them being the indicators of imbalance.
You’re on the first stage to learn from nature. The clues are all around us, we just need to learn to read them.
Thank you for explaining aphids and nitrogen. That explains why my cabbage had aphids last year.
Wow, This really opened my eyes on this problem. Started seeing aphids last year and still seem to have the same problem this year. I will definetly change the way I fertilize. Thank you sir.
This is the second video that I've had of yours to be recommended to me. I will admit hands down that I am VERY impressed!!! You are an inspiration and I hope to be like you one day!
Almost had a heart attack at 9.57 with that sound effect as the phone zoomed across the screen - was listening so intently to the fantastic info, leaning in and then - whoosh! That noise.
Terrific knowledge you're passing on, thanks. The dandelions info on another link is spot on and I'm going to let them stay in the grass till they do their job. This aphids one will hopefully help my plum tree - I planted clover to return nitrogen to the dreadful soil around our newbuild place, so now I'll have to look at rebalancing the soil in its vicinity. It's also covered in ladybugs doing their job. My cats do their business under the blackthorn, so there's the reason it has aphids this year... Thank you.
glad your up okay. love the aphid call to arms call. made me chuckle.
🌻🐛
I'm fighting the aphids on my milkweed Bush not fertilize. but have spearmint plant near. would that bother ??? I can move the mint . ??.?????
I happen to come across your TH-cam just checking on dandelions and OMG i love watching you you are so interesting and im really learning alot so keep up the great videos and i have not been abel to find your virtual tour
Thank you. Here's the link for the Virtual Tour: www.miraclefarm.ca/vt1/
Wendylee Kalliris thanks so much for the awesome feedback Wendylee I will be adding the direct link into the info section of our videos (great idea thanks)
Thank you! I 💖 the vid. So helpful. 😘 so glad you survived your fall. My dad fell pruning a tree and he had permanent frontal lob damage. 🤕
I’m glad you are doing well. Be safe young man. 🌼
Oh interesting video!! I didn't know chicken manure was high in nitrogen. That's what I used to fertilize my garden and my strawberry harvest has been terrible this year. They got very bushy and put on tons of new growth but hardly any berries - i think I found the answer to why!
Totally agree - I have the healthiest kale that only a few months ago was aphoid lacework that I left for ladybirds to enjoy.
You are so correct. However, the late, great dr carey reams would say, about pests invading your food crops, is that they are there to get rid of a food plant that is not fit for human consumption--not necessarily due to too much fertilization (although that does make the nutrients unbalanced, as you say, which is a problem), but also cuz there aren't enough minerals in the soil, which are required in order for most fertilizer to even work. So, people get rid of the pests and then eat a plant that doesn't nourish them. We must be getting our soils tested for adequate minerals and other needed things (like organic matter, etc), and then add those recommended minerals and things.
we used to find bag worms on our spindly apple trees until we tested the soil and added recommended calcium, potassium, etc etc etc. After that, the trees filled out, grew, and flourished, and we've never even had worms in them anymore; the same is the case with our corn--no more corn worms.
Wonderful that you follow the work of Carey Reams, he's so underestimated. Absolutely minerals are key.
I had aphids on both a plum and an elderberry this year.... now I know why.. these are in the area that my chickens and ducks hang out so lots of nitrogen..... question? How do I lock up some of this nitrogen as the chickens are not going away? Also could this cause a decline in fruit production. The plum blossomed really well and had lots of bud fruit but aborted most of the bud fruit. Thanks for the great videos.
Loralee Holman Someone mentioned spreading sawdust, grass clippings etc... things that need nitrogen to decompose.
Greeeat.
My car and windows get smeared with aphid sap every year around the end of June. Wasps are attracted to the sap on my car.
The trees along the road are covered with aphids.
The neighbors walking at least 20 dogs 2x a day are contributing to nitrogen as they habitually visit the same trees every day!
My perfectly healthy plant (for years), suddenly had mealybugs infestation all over the leaves. This happened because the house lady has been watering the plant every day without my knowledge (I normally water the plant every morning before going to work). So basically it was over watered... the plant was stressed and finally infested by mealybugs. I pruned the plant and told the lady to NOT water the plant. Now the plant is as healthy as ever.
How do you know if you overwater your plants? I know it's dependent on the plant type, and you shouldn't flood the roots, and I have a little indicator to tell me how much water is in the earth, but are there other ways to see if you overwater them? Is once daily a good guideline?
@@bunnysupreme74 Depends on the plant. I water them every other day. But to reiterate, depends on the plant. How do you its over watered? If the plant is yellowing despite your best effort watering them, time to take a step back. Normally the outer soil should not feel wet when you touch it. Poke 2 inch inside the soil and it should be a bit wet there.
@@smaug.the.stupendous thank you!
Some plants like a lot of wetness, so like you said, it depends. And my planters have a way to drain out the water, so I guess i don't have as much of a risk.
Also regarding the yellowing: I heard it could also be caused by too much sunlight. Guess I will have to experiment to see what works, if that happens.
Thank you for answering and for sharing your knowledge!
So true! I live in an apartment complex for older adults.
We have a roof top garden with raised boxes to grow in.
Last year, the complex gave each grower a large bag of Miracle-Gro soil to refresh their box.
I planted my box and it was growing beautifully.
Then...
I noticed a bazillion aphids!
I pulled all my plants and treated with a natural repellent.
Then..
I replanted.
I believe that the Miracle-Gro promoted the aphid growth.
Yes an imbalance of nutrients. Plants like people need a diversity of foods not just NPK.
I just discovered your channel and am grateful for your sharing knowledge and experience...please take care on those ladders!
I water my plants with dirty aquarium water, so it's probly high in nitrogen and probly why I have so many aphids on one group of succulents I have. But they only like the ones under my covered patio because they're no ladybugs. They rest of my yard isn't to bad beside the occasional aphid on the roses.
i water the same way haha... other than aphids is it really a problem?
Thanks Stefan! The waterlogged soil must be the culprit. In the past, I have over irrigated in that area. I hope that if I am more careful, it will right itself in future years. I will leave the tree as it, and the predators will have some food. The fact that it does flower every year and gets leaves as well must mean it has a chance? I hope so. Thank you! I always get helpful information from you. You helped me last year finally figure out how to ripen pears from my Keifer pear tree.
Omg you are right!
I had a problem with aphids on my parsley last year ...and after a watering it with baking soda ..I was shocked...all of them were gone! ..thank you for your video..
Wonder how this applies in an aquaponic system where you constantly have natural fertilization happening due to the nitrification process? I really love your information and your style of delivering information. We bought your movie and love it and hope to use your system when we set up our permaculture orchard
Do take care when you are climbing the ladder, Mr Sobkowiak! Thank you for your interesting channel. It is very informative and educational. 👍👍😊
Yes, thank you
Finding you is a bigger treat then getting rid of the darn aphids.
I think this video is how I found your channel a while back. Outstanding wisdom
Is there anything good and natural we can add to the soil to more quickly balance it when it is has too much nitrogen?
Stop peeing on your tree.
Great, no answer.
I think woodchips and shredded leaves were advised somewhere above, the idea being calcium from this type of mulch will use the nitrogen in soil to decompose, hence less nitrogen in the end.
Interesting video!
Minor nitpick: antlions are the larvae of lace-wings or, err, antlions (another lace-winged insect). Ladybugs are beetles.
Thank you for sharing. Love your informative jolly style, brings humour lol. Enjoyed it so far and will continue to look at your other vids soon ✌️❤️🍀🌟☀️🍏🍅🐦🌸🎶
I’m here to tell you…that “WHOOSH” sound that springs from the depths of oblivion @9:52 nearly stopped my now rapidly beating heart.
Sorry. It’s good to get excited once in a while.
Aphids also get carried to your plants/trees by ants. May not even be an unbalanced issue at all.
I agree! This year I noticed excessive sap leaking from my mock orange shrub (8 - 10 feet tall) onto my walk way to the front door. Along this walkway I've always notice trails of ants in the past. Last week I was trimming the shrub and noticed a lot of aphids landing on my arm. I've also notice a trail of ants across the concrete walkway to that shrub. While trimming I've noticed ants & aphids on the branches. I've also learn that ants herd aphids for their "honeydew". Put it all together and it explains the ants, aphids, and the leaking sap on the ground. Oh, i do not fertilize that shrub at all and i don't go urinating on it either. LOL
Exactly! I agree with you. There are some trees at the border of our garden which have never been fertilized (almond trees and wild peaches). This year they are swarmed with ants and aphids.
Vinko Vinko ...I always thought that aphids come when there’s an imbalance in the soil.
true! ants heard them similar to they way we heard cows.. crazy!
True. They are like cattle to the ants and they sort of "milk" them for honeydew, or more literally, harvest their excrement. Nature is such a fry.
Thank you for your video! I got some aphids on my red currant bush this year, and many videos just tell me to pesticide or wash them away. But now I know what is the main source of my problem! 🙏👍
You absolutely right, I left about 20 pounds of coffee around the plum tree and this year the tree was full of aphids
The coffee is great just the quantity is not. Try breaking the dose into 3-4 applications.
wow!
Compost!
I know that we now get a lot of aphids on black currant bushes. It started when we had more and more houses built around us, almost encircling our backyard. I live in zone 8b and the way to get rid of them we just got recommended to release Aphidoletes aphidimyza. We will see. We bought them from Evergreen Growers Supply, LLC Oregon.
This makes sense. A previous owner had horses so my apple trees have aphids.
I hope you have a video on June Bugs. Those monsters turn apple leaves into brown lace.
I just found your channel and subscribed. You answered a question I found nowhere else answered. So perfect!
Welcome aboard. Lots of videos to binge watch.
The red aphids look like Goldenrod aphids to me. Goldenrod often get them when the plant stresses itself out by trying to produce the maximum amount of seed. With your plant in bloom, that might well be a possibility.
You're right. I have an issue with grass growing uncontrollably in my yard when I moved in. So, I let nature take its course and now I have a perfectly healthy lawn. Plenty of worms, and a variety of plant life. The next thing i think is to start a small yard orchard. This is where I'll need help.
Little ladybug being a pacman and gobbling up aphids lol
At last I find a wise man at the garden! One have a rieal Vision. New follower since yesterday. Im totally impressed.
Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.
I like the way you look at things/nature. VERY informative. I'll use chicken manure instead of very diluted 20-20-20 ( with recuperated rain water) in my garden and wildflower bed. Rainwater already contains some nitrogen....and some nasty chemicals also :-( No aphids here anyway right now, tons of ladybugs and hungry birds.
Rich with info. I think we all wish we had a personal mentor who'd walk around schooling us like this
You do through these videos. That’s the beauty of video.
I absolutely love watching your videos for the information you convey. You are a natural (and great) teacher! I am sorry to hear about your fall. Be careful, take care of yourself, but do not ever stop! You have a gift and I am glad you share it! My garden is too!!! :)
Omg, you’re completely right! Aphids were driving me crazy, and all the answers I was getting it’s how to get rid of them, not the cause of them.
Thank you so much!!!
That’s how you get a lasting answer, not a quick fix.
Thanks for this video! I've been battling aphids in my little balcony garden and had the feeling it always got worse after I fertilised it, seems like my intuition was right!! So I'm curious, are there any other pests that get attracted by other NPK imbalances or other nutritional imbalances in the soil? Seems like balancing out the nutrition in the soil could be a better way of dealing with pests than spraying all sorts of solutions on your plants, which will only help temporarily.
Insects are attracted by stressed plants. Many times it is a nutrition imbalance or lack of a nutrient, often a micronutrient.
I’m so sorry about your fall! Please take care❤️ I really enjoy your content and I’m learning so much!
Ok....after listening and watching your video.....you got me to subscribe😃You make a lot of sense and very knowledgable🤙
I've been using blood meal to fertilize my potted plants and I have never seen as many aphids as I have this year......this explains everything! Thank you sooooo much for this video!!!
You’re welcome.
Wow!!!! I didn’t know that about aphids thank you very much. 🙂 God always has a messages and a reason for something. Now I know even those little buggers have a purpose. 😀
observing things is key in permaculture and you just revealed it ....Thanks Stefan for your valuable guidance...
How about white flies? How to deal with them?. Greatly appreciate your lessons. Thank you
Don’t know, don’t have them.
Thank you, we’re glad you enjoyed this one
Ha, I guessed the urine issue. I like your approach to all things in nature. For example, aphids are not a problem. They indicate the problem. I'm sure I will learn much from you and please be careful. We don't spring back from falls like we did when we were 20.
Craig Mouldey haha that’s awesome we’re glad you’re enjoying the videos and no now he asks me to go and do these type of things for him...
Thank you for the very useful information! Really need to learn this, newbie of farming here!