When Can I Be Sure...

[peebee]

the spider mites are gone and it's safe to start my fall plantings? My tomato plants have been gone for a while except for a couple that still look pretty good although there is mite damage.
Specifically, I want to sow lettuce soon. Do spider mites have a temperature tolerance, in that they go away once the weather hits a certain temp? The past 2 years I did not sow lettuce till Oct as I solarized my soil till then, but this year I am skipping that cuz I have seen no benefits to doing so.
Any thoughts?

[b54red]

Go ahead and plant. I have never seen spider mites on lettuce. I have seen them on cucumbers, squash, a few bell peppers, okra, beans, and of course tomatoes.

I would spray my new plants with a mix of food grade DE about 2/3 cup mixed into a gallon of water shaken well and strained along with a small amount of Dawn. Make sure to spray the under sides of the tomato plant leaves. This will help stop any new spider mite activity. I am doing this on my fall plants because it is still plenty hot for spider mites to reappear.

Bill

[peebee]

I have seen mites on lettuce but only on the stragglers left over from the winter that I was leaving to go to seed. The mites don't come when it is cool, but cool for me would be in Oct at least. I have never attempted lettuce this early.
I was hoping not to spray, not lettuce anyways. There would be way too many leaves to do .

[b54red]

Originally Posted by peebee

I have seen mites on lettuce but only on the stragglers left over from the winter that I was leaving to go to seed. The mites don't come when it is cool, but cool for me would be in Oct at least. I have never attempted lettuce this early.
I was hoping not to spray, not lettuce anyways. There would be way too many leaves to do .

You are right because a few years ago I let some lettuce go to seed and did get some mites on it. I have never seen them during the lettuce growing season which down here is from late October thru May.

Bill