-
drbrandie
White flies on tomatoes
My husband and I are stationed in Germany where we don't have a yard. I have successfully grown Roma tomatoes in a container but they seem to be covered in little bitty white flies. The fruit and the plants don't seem to be affected, but is there a natural remedy I can use to get rid of them? I've tried castille soap solution sprayed on, but no go. Or should I not worry about it?
-
grandpasrose
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1651
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:21 pm
- Location: Quesnel, BC, Canada - Zone 4a
Whiteflies are a very prolific pest once they get established. They thrive on the sap of your fruit and plant. The have a short incubation period, so new batches are hatching all the time. For this reason, you need to give repeated treatments to your plants over a period of time.
Insecticidal Soap spray should work, as it prevents more eggs from being laid. But there will be eggs already laid that will hatch, so you need to keep spraying until you no longer see any whiteflies. Persistence is the key!
Definitely do not just let it be, the plant and fruit may not be affected now, but they will soon see the effects and become skeletonized sad versions of their prior selves.
Hope this helps and you enjoy your tomatoes!
VAL
Insecticidal Soap spray should work, as it prevents more eggs from being laid. But there will be eggs already laid that will hatch, so you need to keep spraying until you no longer see any whiteflies. Persistence is the key!
Definitely do not just let it be, the plant and fruit may not be affected now, but they will soon see the effects and become skeletonized sad versions of their prior selves.
Hope this helps and you enjoy your tomatoes!
VAL
-
opabinia51
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 4659
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC
Just be careful to read the label on the insecticidal soap and be sure that it does not contain any broad range insecticides. I would actually recommend using neem oil or just a liquid soap rather than an insecticidal soap.
Be sure to apply a good coating of Neem Oil once and then just leave it be for a while
Be sure to apply a good coating of Neem Oil once and then just leave it be for a while
-
grandpasrose
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1651
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:21 pm
- Location: Quesnel, BC, Canada - Zone 4a
Some further information regarding Insecticidal Soap.
Insecticidal soap is simply a highly refined soap.
The most common soaps are made of the potassium salts of fatty acids.
Insecticidal soaps work only on direct contact with the pests.
The fatty acids disrupt the structure and permeability of the insects' cell membranes. The cell contents are able to leak from the damaged cells, and the insect quickly dies. There is no residual insecticidal activity once the soap spray has dried.
VAL
Insecticidal soap is simply a highly refined soap.
The most common soaps are made of the potassium salts of fatty acids.
Insecticidal soaps work only on direct contact with the pests.
The fatty acids disrupt the structure and permeability of the insects' cell membranes. The cell contents are able to leak from the damaged cells, and the insect quickly dies. There is no residual insecticidal activity once the soap spray has dried.
VAL
-
opabinia51
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 4659
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC
Actually, a soap is the a fatty acid reacted with a base (such as NaOH (sodium Hydroxide). Though NaOH is a very strong base and a soap made from Sodium Hydroxide would not be useful for humans).
Anyway, the residues from soaps can be long lasting. They are organic because they are made from Carbon but, I would not recommend using them heavily on plants or around soil. Thanks for the tip on the lack of insecticides in them though
Though, I still recommend reading the label before using any insecticidal soap. Better safe than sorry.
Anyway, the residues from soaps can be long lasting. They are organic because they are made from Carbon but, I would not recommend using them heavily on plants or around soil. Thanks for the tip on the lack of insecticides in them though
Though, I still recommend reading the label before using any insecticidal soap. Better safe than sorry.
-
grandpasrose
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1651
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:21 pm
- Location: Quesnel, BC, Canada - Zone 4a
-
opabinia51
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 4659
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC
-
opabinia51
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 4659
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC
Drbrandie, sorry about Val and I getting off topic. If the flies are not harming your tomatoes, I really wouldn't worry about it to much. Neem oil is still my recomodation though. Though, I don't think that I would put Neem Oil on the fruit itself. (at least not directly)
You may try just putting a fine mesh netting over your plants to keep the flies away.
You may try just putting a fine mesh netting over your plants to keep the flies away.
-
The Helpful Gardener
- Mod
- Posts: 7491
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
- Location: Colchester, CT
Watch spraying in the heat of the day with either of those products. They are both capable of giving a nasty sunburn...
I am starting to brlieve that magic wand may exist. Remeber the Messenger I was talking about? My tomatoes are all now free of ANY botryitis and while I was starting to get a touch of the whitefly myself, they seem to have dissappeared. THe new flower sets are incredibly prolific, and the blossom drop that was starting with the botrytis has dissappeared as well. And the plants are going nuts! ('Matt's Wild Cherry needs twice weekly cut backs just to keep from overtaking the whole garden and is giving us fifty or so fruits every other day; one plant!)
Harpin protein could well be the magic bullet, campers. Remember, you heard it here first...
HG
I am starting to brlieve that magic wand may exist. Remeber the Messenger I was talking about? My tomatoes are all now free of ANY botryitis and while I was starting to get a touch of the whitefly myself, they seem to have dissappeared. THe new flower sets are incredibly prolific, and the blossom drop that was starting with the botrytis has dissappeared as well. And the plants are going nuts! ('Matt's Wild Cherry needs twice weekly cut backs just to keep from overtaking the whole garden and is giving us fifty or so fruits every other day; one plant!)
Harpin protein could well be the magic bullet, campers. Remember, you heard it here first...
HG
-
grandpasrose
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1651
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:21 pm
- Location: Quesnel, BC, Canada - Zone 4a
Aloha everyone!
I live in Hawaii where residents swear you cannot grow tomatoes becasue of white flies. I am Italian and I intend to prove them wrong! But, a day after my little babies are in the ground, they are covered with white flies. I have sprayed them with a mixture of water and environmentally safe liquid soap, (which helped) but I need guaranteed help!
So, since this is a small remote island (Lana'I), can anyone recommend where I can get Neem Oil and Harpin Protein on-line?
Much mahalo!
Loretta
I live in Hawaii where residents swear you cannot grow tomatoes becasue of white flies. I am Italian and I intend to prove them wrong! But, a day after my little babies are in the ground, they are covered with white flies. I have sprayed them with a mixture of water and environmentally safe liquid soap, (which helped) but I need guaranteed help!
So, since this is a small remote island (Lana'I), can anyone recommend where I can get Neem Oil and Harpin Protein on-line?
Much mahalo!
Loretta
-
grandpasrose
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1651
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:21 pm
- Location: Quesnel, BC, Canada - Zone 4a
-
The Helpful Gardener
- Mod
- Posts: 7491
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
- Location: Colchester, CT