Whiteflies are ruining my indoor tomato plants!
[img]https://img84.imageshack.us/img84/5708/zna8718.jpg[/img]
I'm out of Neem Oil and It isn't available to me anymore. I usually dust Diatemacious earth over the plants and today I tried getting it on the underside of the leaves since that's where whiteflies like to hang out. I tried the diluted dish soap/oil and it damaged some of the leaves.
The fruits are hanging in there.. I really don't want to lose my greenhouse to these suckers. help?
yellowing wilting leaves and stunted growth:
[img]https://img211.imageshack.us/img211/4743/zna8711.jpg[/img]
[img]https://img152.imageshack.us/img152/5065/zna8700.jpg[/img] [img]https://img705.imageshack.us/img705/3883/zna8731.jpg[/img]
[img]https://img806.imageshack.us/img806/2614/zna8714.jpg[/img]
Fruit looks healthy though
[img]https://img510.imageshack.us/img510/5854/zna8703.jpg[/img] [img]https://img207.imageshack.us/img207/8963/zna8721.jpg[/img]
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applestar
- Mod
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I don't have an immediate answer for your white fly problem other than just shooting them off with sprays of water since your toms are in the pool room.
I read your other post on BER and was a bit concerned about the multiple application of lime -- are you testing your soil because lime can raise pH too high for the tomatoes, and in weakened state, they'll be more vulnerable to pests.
Soap solution -- make sure it's SOAP and not dish detergent. jal had posted a recipe that he uses with dish detergent that I'm guessing is mild enough (or his brand of detergent is mild enough) but in most cases, DETERGENT is harmful to plants and will burn them. If you don't have liquid soap, shave or grate mild bar/cake soap and dissolve. To be safe, you can also rise off the soapy solution 5~15 min after application.
My indoor peppers get brown leaf tips if I don't rinse them off because the soap solution, though mild, will persist as a drop on the leaftip, then evaporate until concentrated. Tomatoes with their fuzzy/downy fine hairs will trap the soapy solution and end up with the same problem.
I read your other post on BER and was a bit concerned about the multiple application of lime -- are you testing your soil because lime can raise pH too high for the tomatoes, and in weakened state, they'll be more vulnerable to pests.
Soap solution -- make sure it's SOAP and not dish detergent. jal had posted a recipe that he uses with dish detergent that I'm guessing is mild enough (or his brand of detergent is mild enough) but in most cases, DETERGENT is harmful to plants and will burn them. If you don't have liquid soap, shave or grate mild bar/cake soap and dissolve. To be safe, you can also rise off the soapy solution 5~15 min after application.
My indoor peppers get brown leaf tips if I don't rinse them off because the soap solution, though mild, will persist as a drop on the leaftip, then evaporate until concentrated. Tomatoes with their fuzzy/downy fine hairs will trap the soapy solution and end up with the same problem.
I know its wrong but I'm not testing my soil only because I did different mixes of soils/compost for each set of pots without keeping track or anything, I didn't know what I was doing at the time, next time I will make sure I do everything right.
I will keep dusting DE since its the least harmful option I currently have, you know what solution I had offered to me when I called the tens of nurseries that do gardening pest control here? its this [url]https://www.bgpgroup.biz/nicotine-polacrilex-usp-ep10pmsd.html[/url] Imagine me spraying this!! indoors and on something I plan to eat. It just makes me sick how careless they can get with chemicals here.
I will keep dusting DE since its the least harmful option I currently have, you know what solution I had offered to me when I called the tens of nurseries that do gardening pest control here? its this [url]https://www.bgpgroup.biz/nicotine-polacrilex-usp-ep10pmsd.html[/url] Imagine me spraying this!! indoors and on something I plan to eat. It just makes me sick how careless they can get with chemicals here.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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- Location: TN/GA 7b
Not sure how effective the diatomaceous earth will be for whiteflies. It works well against crawlers (slugs, caterpillars, etc) that are abraded by crawling over it. The whiteflies wouldn't be doing that.
If you don't have Neem, you can use any oil, even cooking oil. Dilute with some water and add just a little bit of real soap (not detergent).
Sometimes you can just vacuum a bunch of them off, especially if it is cool in the AM and they are slower moving.
If you don't have Neem, you can use any oil, even cooking oil. Dilute with some water and add just a little bit of real soap (not detergent).
Sometimes you can just vacuum a bunch of them off, especially if it is cool in the AM and they are slower moving.
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applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30550
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Thanks RBG -- Vaccuuming! That's it! I forgot about that method. I use a cordless handvac or the extended long nozzle of the floor vac. The trick is to disturb them so they fly up.
With the cordless, I can use one hand to brush or shake the plants. With the hose/wand/nozzle, I swipe at the plants with the side of the tube, but the problem is that the powerful suction can sometimes unexpectedly get hold of/damage the foliage, so it's easier with a helper doing the disturbing.
With the cordless, I can use one hand to brush or shake the plants. With the hose/wand/nozzle, I swipe at the plants with the side of the tube, but the problem is that the powerful suction can sometimes unexpectedly get hold of/damage the foliage, so it's easier with a helper doing the disturbing.
