Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
anderson4paint

Bugs everywhere

anderson4paint
18 years ago

I have been checking my Tomatoe plants for bugs since early in the season. There is some sort of something living on abou 95 percent of my plants leaves. The amount and variety of aphids, mites and insects is growing rapidly. It is beginning to effect a few plants.

I feel like there is so much conflicting informtion out there. Do I use pesticides, or don't I? Should I use something for the leaves to prevent fungus or shouldn't I.

I purchased lady beetles, hoping they would help but there has been no sign of them. Because of the lady beetles, I am trying not to spray the plants with pesticides. I am picking the bugs I find off, but that job is never ending. I also made insecticidal soap with water, oil and dish detergent.

Can someone please let me know step by step what they do to maintain their tomato plants.

Please, please, please. I am so confused.

Comments (7)

  • nctom
    18 years ago

    Hello,
    You really need to spray. I'm sorry the lady bugs let you down. Aphids can be a host to disease and virus and mites aren't helping either. I can appreciate you not wanting to put stong insecticides out, still you need to spray. Try using a pyrethrin based spray. It's derived from chrysanthemum plants and should be quite effective on both the aphids and mites as well as many others.I've seen this product at Wal-mart and homestores.

    I am attaching a link that will show you the bug and resulting damage. This also is great for disease and virus ID.

    Here is a link that might be useful: INSECT DAMAGE PLUS

  • nctom
    18 years ago

    Woops I didn't completly answer you. I spray a product called Soap Shield about every 7 to 10 days and again after a heavy or prolonged rain. Soap shield is a copper based fungicide spray that controls a good majority of the bad stuff i.e. anthracose,bacterialspot, septoria and early and late blight. Many people use a product made by Ortho I think it's ortho garden disease control. It's mentioned in many of the threads already posted im sure you can find them. I wouldn't hesitate to use it but so far the Soap Shield is doing great.
    Here's what else I do
    About every 3 to 4 weeks I use a fish emulsion folage fertilizer and kelp spray. Lots of people use Miricle Grow. If you decide to use it I'd apply at half the instructed amount of MG to water.

    I also sucker my plants.I don't get them all but pop them off when I see them.

    I like to keep the bottoms stems off the ground and sometimes that means pruning them. This cuts down your chance for soil borne disease and makes it a little tougher for those bugs to climb on.

    I also use mulch around the base of the plant.

    I water based on the rain fall. So far watering hasn't been an issue here. About an inch of water a week is enough I think.

    When you do water do so in the morning so that the plant can dry off(wet plants invites bad stuff)and try not to wet the whole plant. Ideally use a soaker hose.

    In addition to this I do what your doing. Look for problems and ask someone if your not sure what to do.

  • hibiscus909
    18 years ago

    Yeah, aphids, whiteflies and other insects suck the life out of your plants and spread disease. You can try to spray them off with a forceful stream of water. I handpick them , too. Yuk. Soap spray is good stuff; I make my own but also use a commercially produced product that I think is more effective. Just keep at it, becaus they reproduce so quick.

    I really don't know about the fungus issue. I don't spray for it.

    seahorse

  • anderson4paint
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    nctom,

    Thank you for your reply. I just want to clarify, you use both a copper based fungicide spray and a different spray for the insects?

  • nctom
    18 years ago

    Yes. The copper based fungicide is just what I already have here to use. I wouldn't hesitate to use the Ortho Garden Disease control(instead of copper based fungicide). I also have heard and read lots of good results with Serenade(chemical free biofungicde). Whichever of these three you choose for disease control you still need a different spray for the bugs.

  • anderson4paint
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thank you ntom. I will try this.

  • whizzer75
    17 years ago

    I use Daconil, by one name or another, in a preventive program due to the high humidity in this area. If I add a little dish detergent to the mix will that help deter aphids?
    The Ortho product is getting scarce around here because the big stores are carrying other brands.

Sponsored
Cathleen Curtin Architects LLC
Average rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars18 Reviews
Metro DC’s Architect Designing For Your Lifestyle For 25+ Years