My jalapeño plant (Joe) was struggling with a severe aphid infestation. I got him from Lowe’s and he was already covered with maturing peppers. Once I identified the aphids, I was spraying him with water every day. The aphids did not go away. Next I tried dish soap and water. They did not go away! Then, I tried water and vinegar, stunted the growth of the pepper, and ultimately killed poor Joe! He STILL had some aphids that hatched after the vinegar so I just was so annoyed I squished them with my fingers. Next thing I knew, he was a twig in the shape of a Y. I kept watering him for I was very hopeful to someday use fresh jalapeños in my cooking. About a month and a half later, he made minuscule leaves! Now, he is full grown again and has a pepper! The picture below is it today. He is now only dealing with minor dehydration, which is easy to fix. (In the pic you can see my favorite plant: a kalanchoe named Spike and my hydroponic mint sprout named Jolene).
