Information and discussion regarding garden diseases, insects and other unwelcome critters.
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
June 30, 2017 | #16 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Posts: 329
|
If you get a 30x pocket microscope you can see them and their perfectly spherical eggs. Sometimes other scary stuff too. I'm not sure how they feel when I use mine to check plants at the garden center
Ewi8lbXAxuXUAhUH5oMKHQcIDfEQ_AUIBigB&biw=1829&bih= 998 https://www.google.com/search?q=spid...=1498825075868
__________________
500 sq ft of raised rows zone 8a Last edited by decherdt; June 30, 2017 at 09:23 AM. |
June 30, 2017 | #17 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Chicago-land & SO-cal
Posts: 583
|
Quote:
|
|
June 30, 2017 | #18 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ohio
Posts: 4,350
|
Quote:
As per a spinosad fact sheet..... "Spinosad is a natural substance made by a soil bacterium that can be toxic to insects. It is a mixture of two chemicals called spinosyn A and spinosyn D. It is used to control a wide variety of pests. These include thrips, leafminers, spider mites, mosquitoes, ants, fruit flies and others". no where does it say it is a systemic or can be used as a systemic.
__________________
carolyn k |
|
June 30, 2017 | #19 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Houston Zone 9A
Posts: 132
|
Bill I want to try your spray but what is DE?
I am new to this and have tried Neem oil and Organicide 3 in 1 Sesame Oil trying to avoid a pesticide and frankly it helps some but they come back... |
June 30, 2017 | #20 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Houston Zone 9A
Posts: 132
|
I keep all weeds out of my beds... however behind my boxes are some grass that gets taller since I cannot cut it. Does rain or water help get rid of them? Also has anyone used Dill, Cilantro, etc that I read is a good companion plant deterrent?
|
July 1, 2017 | #21 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
|
Quote:
Bill |
|
July 2, 2017 | #22 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Chicago-land & SO-cal
Posts: 583
|
Quote:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16180075 "Surprisingly, when spinosad was applied to the roots of tomato plants in rock wool, excellent control of spider mites was obtained. Apparently, spinosad has systemic properties and quantities as low as 1 mg/plant could protect tomato plants from mite infestation." |
|
July 2, 2017 | #23 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Cheektowaga, NY
Posts: 2,466
|
Quote:
Another very useful tool for looking for mites is a good digital camera or smart phone camera that can take some clear closeup shots. I did this today after I noticed some funny looking yellowing on some lower leaves of some tomato plants. Yep, there are mites there. |
|
July 2, 2017 | #24 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 880
|
This year I planted marigolds around my tomatoes in containers. Then I read that they attract spider mites. I almost yanked them up but I decided to leave them. Maybe the spider mites will leave the tomatoes alone? I had to thin the marigolds out a few days ago and saw no signs of mites.
|
July 2, 2017 | #25 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
|
Quote:
|
|
July 2, 2017 | #26 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ohio
Posts: 4,350
|
Quote:
__________________
carolyn k |
|
July 2, 2017 | #27 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Cheektowaga, NY
Posts: 2,466
|
Quote:
In the case of spider mites, my camera may not be able to pick up details of the mites body but probably show the black spots on the two spotted mites. We'll see, it's not hot and dry enough yet up here for spider mites to thrive but I'll be checking often because you never know. |
|
July 4, 2017 | #28 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Chicago-land & SO-cal
Posts: 583
|
Quote:
Dow Chemical was the one who first introduced spinosad products to the US back in 1997. They use to hand out a pamphlet and it's on their current Conserve product "Spinosad works by contact and by ingestion. Contact occurs either by direct application to the insect or by movement of the insect onto a treated surface. Ingestion occurs as insects feed on treated substrate (such as foliage). While control via contact is highly effective, control via ingestion is 5 - 10 times more effective." "However it is comparatively non-toxic to mammals and beneficial insects. Only insects that actually ingest the plant material that was treated, such as leaf matter, are affected. Spinosad is partly taken up by leaf tissue and this enhances its effectiveness over time. Dry surface residues do little harm to non-plant feeding insects." (Saunders and Brett 1997). As far as nutrient uptake. It's not exactly new practice. http://web.pppmb.cals.cornell.edu/re...management.pdf It's currently used as seed treatment for onions. I don't see why one can't also do the same for 'maters, especially if you're in an area where you're constantly battling thrips, spider mites, hornworms, etc.. etc.. |
|
July 6, 2017 | #29 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: chicago
Posts: 1
|
I have been using this and it has worked great on my heirloom plants. However, something is still munching on my basil. I've tried EVERYTHING! I have my earthboxes on a balcony in the city. I put beer out as a last resort to see if it was slugs even though I've never seen one here my entire life. No luck. The potting mix is new and I used a new earthbox for the basil. The only thing I see hanging around are flys and things that look like little flying gnats. I have mulch covers on but that doesn't seem to deter what ever this invisible monster is.....any suggestions would greatly be appreciated. Btw this is the first year that I've experienced this thank you
|
July 8, 2017 | #30 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
|
I just learned the other day that Spinosad is highly toxic to bees.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinosad Being systemic, I wonder how much ends up in the pollen? Not sure if that has been studied yet. Most sources say it's less toxic to bees when dried. |
|
|