Insect spray suggestions

CharlieM · March 3, 2014

Hello,
Last year I used Ferti-Lome Triple Action Plus as a combo spray for insects and tomato diseases. I read so much good about using Daconil for Early Blight and other diseases I want to try it this summer. So, I need a good all round insecticide to use along with the Daconil.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Charlie

b54red · March 4, 2014

Charlie if you have to use an insecticide for insects there really isn't just one that is best. For caterpillars Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is good and non toxic and is good for most worms with no waiting time to harvest. I usually buy it under the name Dipel dust but it can be obtained in a liquid form that can be sprayed on the plants. The other poison that I will sometimes use for chewing insects that the Bt doesn't work on is Sevin but there are waiting times til harvest. It will kill almost any chewing insect.

There can be issues with sucking insects like aphids and mites and with them you need some kind of knock down or contact poison if their natural predators don't control them. They are much harder to deal with. Sometimes just a simple soapy water will work. The poison that I sometimes use is Permethrin which has a very short waiting time to harvest of usually one day. There are many other organic and non organic methods to control some types of pests. Last year I was very lucky and didn't have to use any contact poisons on my tomatoes or peppers due to the high number of predator insects that remained in my garden all season last year. Read some of the threads on this forum discussing various pests and see how others in your neck of the woods deal with them. There is a wealth of information on this site that will help you in determining what you may need.

Bill

March 3, 2014	#1
CharlieM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Louisiana Posts: 12	Insect spray suggestions Hello, Last year I used Ferti-Lome Triple Action Plus as a combo spray for insects and tomato diseases. I read so much good about using Daconil for Early Blight and other diseases I want to try it this summer. So, I need a good all round insecticide to use along with the Daconil. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your replies. Charlie

March 4, 2014	#2
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Charlie if you have to use an insecticide for insects there really isn't just one that is best. For caterpillars Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is good and non toxic and is good for most worms with no waiting time to harvest. I usually buy it under the name Dipel dust but it can be obtained in a liquid form that can be sprayed on the plants. The other poison that I will sometimes use for chewing insects that the Bt doesn't work on is Sevin but there are waiting times til harvest. It will kill almost any chewing insect. There can be issues with sucking insects like aphids and mites and with them you need some kind of knock down or contact poison if their natural predators don't control them. They are much harder to deal with. Sometimes just a simple soapy water will work. The poison that I sometimes use is Permethrin which has a very short waiting time to harvest of usually one day. There are many other organic and non organic methods to control some types of pests. Last year I was very lucky and didn't have to use any contact poisons on my tomatoes or peppers due to the high number of predator insects that remained in my garden all season last year. Read some of the threads on this forum discussing various pests and see how others in your neck of the woods deal with them. There is a wealth of information on this site that will help you in determining what you may need. Bill