Organic or not?

[DonnaMarieNJ]

I'm new at gardening and my plants are loaded with some sort of bug/disease. I don't know which or what. I cannot take pics. If someone could recommend an overall organic insect control I would appreciate it.

I'd also like to start using an organic fertilizer. I have no idea what is good.

I'm going to have some leaves analyzed tomorrow to see if they can identify my problem, but in the meantime, I'd like some recommendations asap, please. I have time today to run to the store.

Or, should I not go the organic route? I know that controlling diseases and bugs organically is hard, but should I try it first or just go out and buy some sort of Ortho?

PS Happy Father's Day!!!!!!

[QAGuy]

It would be extremely helpful if you would give us a bit more of a
description than loaded with some sort of bug/disease.

There's also a more appropriate forum for this type of question too.
Try posting here and you might get more response.
http://www.tomatoville.com/viewforum.php?f=6

But, that said, go here
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/t...ver/index.html
and check and see if your problem is shown.

[DonnaMarieNJ]

I know, and I'm sorry I could not be more descriptive. But rather than waste everyone's time, I'll take sample leaves to someone and see if they can identify them.

I know for a fact that I had aphids, but these don't look the same. They look like they are sucking the juices from the leaves leaving spots on the underside of the leaves. Mealybugs, maybe? I killed them before I got a chance to remember what they looked like.

I did purchase ladybugs but it seems they liked someone else's aphids better than mine, because they are no longer in my garden. I figured with ladybugs, praying mantises and such, I would only have to deal with diseases or larger insects. I tend to panic quickly as this is my first "real" garden.

But in the interim, can you suggest, at least, a good organic fertilizer? I'll try that first and then, once I get a "diagnosis" on the bugs, I'll ask for suggestsions for a bug spray.

[barkeater]

since your problem seems to be with sucking insects, there are 2 good organic solutions. One is Safer Soap, the other is Sunspray Oil, or like brands.

[cecilsgarden1958]

I like to use a organic insectacide with bio-neem. Shultz has one called Fungacide3. Bio-neem is an insectacide, mitacide & Fungacide.
It will be helpful for your inscets and your desease. Of course it is not a cure all. I recall the tomato hornworms laughing at me and burping.
Also, good is Pyola from Garden's Alive it combines an organic insectacide with canola oil. This is definetly good for aphids.

As far as a good organic fertilizer. There are a lot.
You can go to the feed store or mill and buy alfalfa pellots.
Also good is "Cocka-doodle-doo" dehydrated chicken manure, kelp meal or Espoma Organic Solution products.

CECIL

[DonnaMarieNJ]

I'm guessing they are mealybugs. Do they eat tomato leaves? I'll look it up. In the meantime, while I was taking cuttings to bring for analysis, I saw baby praying mantis!! Little tiny babies! So, now what? Do I still spray for bugs and risk hurting the mantis or wait until the mantis grow larger and let them eat the bugs? Will the mantis stay or leave like the lady bugs?

Also, how do I preserve the cutting I snipped so that it will still be OK for tomorrow when I bring it in? I put it in a ziplock and tightly sealed it, but now I'm thinking the mealybugs (or whatever) will suffocate before they can be looked at. I put the bag in the fridge. Should I leave it open a crack? Will it matter if they are dead for a correct analysis?

Too much for me to take in at one time.....

sigh

[QAGuy]

So the bugs are dead! They still can be identified even if they're corpses.

I wouldn't leave it open a crack. Buggies might just crawl out
and start exploring the 'fridge.

[Althea]

If you're not sure if the problem is being caused by an insect, fungus or disease, don't do anything until you get an identification.

A good way to get rid of aphids is to spray them off with the water hose.

Spider mites live on the underside of leaves and suck the juices from plants. A sharp spray with the water hose or spray bottle, repeated 2 or 3 times a week for a week or two will take care of them too. Mites don't like damp conditions so keeping the undersides of the leaves wet until they move away for good will prevent reinfestation.

Post back with the i.d. info.

[Woodenzoo]

Mealy bugs are white cottony looking critters, and you haven't given any indication that was what you were seeing. They will suck the juices out of the plant.
Soapy water will take care of mealy bugs and spider mites along with some other pests. Spraying it on and especially, wiping the plants off with damp soapy paper towels helps even more.
I have seen the soapy water treatment mentioned a few times lately on the boards, and would like to mention that when I was taking care of plants for a living, that is one of the first things we used to combat these insects. But we also were trained not to use any dish soap that had degreasers in it (Ivory! 99% pure! was the first one recommended!), not to make too strong a solution or to apply when the plant was in full sun and/or keep it in shade until it was dry. Spraying them off with the hose should work also, but you'll have to be careful as to what time of day you do that also.
On a side note, I'm wondering... if you are in New Jersey, it seems unlikely that these two pests would attack your outside plants unless you brought them in with a purchased plant. They wouldn't survive the winter outside.
Get a proper ID and I'm sure someone here can give you a good solution to the problem.
Cathy

[Lee]

If you've got preying mantids.... let 'em do their thing.

They WILL bring your garden under control (or at least
a reasonable balance). I don't spray the edibles and I have
had an increasing abundance of predators (lady bugs each) year.

That being said, I would also hand pick, wipe, scrape the existing bugs off to prevent further destruction. Or a strong water misting as others have stated.

Lee

[DonnaMarieNJ]

I took two clippings to Rutgers today and the consensus was mites. Not just one type, mind you, but two. I wonder if I brought in three cuttings if they would have found three types of bugs? I would have bet I had mealybugs, but what do I know? The people couldn't agree how to treat (because of my mantis babies). I wrote down the words "not dormant oils." This is something I'm supposed to purchase. I was trying to pay attention closely, but somehow I forgot what that meant. I can call them tomorrow to find out either way.

They put the cuttings under the microscope and shook the leaves over white paper - and off fell mite poop! Ewww! When I was taking the cutting the bugs looked like little white cotton puffs on the leaves. However, when they shook the mites on the paper, they were definitely green and crawling. I wonder if the white cottony stuff went away because I sealed the cuttings in a ziplock and refrigerated it?

The general consensus was also soapy water - sprayed - but I won't do that. I'll try doing it by hand this weekend with maybe a cotton swab or something - I don't know.

It was quite interesting and free of charge. I wished I could have spent more time there, but I was on my lunch hour and they are all volunteers and are not open before 9 or after 5.

I'm certain I will have more problems in the future, but I'm glad to know they are right there around the corner from my job. To think I have worked there 20 years and didn't notice! But, I never needed them until now.

Many thanks for your support. I tend to panic when I don't know what to do.....

[barkeater]

Hmmm. So the pros at Rutgers said to use oil (but not dormant oil) or soap. That prescription sounds very familiar. I wonder where I heard that before? :wink:

[DonnaMarieNJ]

Is "Tomatoes Alive Plus" any good as a natural fertilizer? I think my garden center may have the cockadoodle doo, so I can look into that, too.

Thanks!