Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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April 24, 2019 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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Any crops that aphids don't touch?
I'm wondering if there is any food crop that aphids really dislike.
I've heard that they don't like garlic, and so far no sign of them on the bulbils/rounds I planted in the greenhouse this winter - after purging a huge aphid infestation on carrots. They also didn't take up residence on my rosemary, so I'm pretty sure they won't go for that. I know celery, lettuce, peppers and parsely are things they love even better than tomatoes. Has anyone had the good fortune to find greens or other crops that aphids just won't bother trying to eat? |
April 24, 2019 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Southeast GA, USDA 9a, HZ9, Sunset Z28
Posts: 396
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Haven't bothered our onions. They currently love the tomatoes and our new apple and hibiscus shoots.
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April 24, 2019 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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They didn't get on my grape last year, but maybe I should keep a closer eye on those unopened leaf clusters too. I saw an ant on the window yesterday when the sun was shining, so aphid could be close behind.
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April 24, 2019 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Victoria, Australia
Posts: 870
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Have not seen any on the Garden Sorrel come to think of it, over the 3 years I have been growing it
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April 24, 2019 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Augusta area, Georgia, 8a/7b
Posts: 1,685
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I can't remember ever having any on the corn.
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April 24, 2019 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: OH 6a
Posts: 592
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Maybe this sound ridiculous, but I rarely have problem with them on lettuce, particularly the red sails variety I grow. They prefer the mustard or brassica, which often the lettuce are grown right next to.
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April 24, 2019 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MA
Posts: 4,971
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They don't touch anything in my garden, except my plum tree leaves.
The plum tree leaves are like rare earth magnets, and the aphids are iron. The bottom of a leaf can be so densely covered that you can only see aphids and not see the leaf. One wonders if it's possible for a ladybug to gorge itself into not being able to fly. |
April 24, 2019 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Southern Virginia
Posts: 342
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Asparagus!
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April 25, 2019 | #9 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
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They’ve left the pluots and blueberries alone for 3 years now; one of those years they went for new apple foliage big time.
They’ve gone for red noodle pole beans but not any other variety. For some reason every time I’ve had Gaura in the yard it gets smothered in aphids. I finally pulled it out and haven’t seen a one on the rest of the pollinators. The yellow sticky traps really help! |
April 25, 2019 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Vancouver Island Canada BC
Posts: 1,253
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Can aphids hide in a house? A friend has had aphids on her indoor grown pepper plants two years in a row now. Her house plants do not have aphids. No ants. Where else could they come from inside a house?
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April 25, 2019 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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Ants can be very stealthy. Houses can seem to be sealed when they're not.
I have three pepper plants right now that lived in one successfully sealed window all year last without getting aphids. Trouble is that is my seed starting area and is full of greens at the mo. Living room seal was a fail, all the peppers there last season got aphids and had to be taken outdoors eventually... I'm not up for the endless battle. So I don't have a great place to put the peppers, and I think it's a waiting game now, because the attached greenhouse is by no means free of ants and they will be finding a way in at some point. Nice to see the suggestions for aphid free crops! It would be sweet to see them go back to their own habitat out there, out of disgust for what I am eating. |
April 28, 2019 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: NewYork 5a
Posts: 2,303
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I'm not convinced of the lists I see on-line. Once the tender plants get past a certain point
they seem safe. The buggers do love small pepper plants. And my dwarf sunflowers...my victims...'sticky traps' for the aphid world. I've been checking my peppers daily and I have the sunflowers as always. (4 inch pots) 2017 was my aphid year indoors. Once I got the fungus gnats under control I failed to notice the aphids. WHAM. Tragic, I took a few quick pics and was showing a gardening co-worker my trays. Zoomed in and saw aphids. That's a long 12 hours until I got home. :...I ran them outside when I got home and dunked all of them in my rain barrel. Big bath. I grow year round as you know and never had a problem. They never touch my salads maybe because of the peppers/sunflowers nearby. Mice went for the sunflowers also. 2017 I never saw a aphid outside that entire season. (weird) Good thing they don't care for us like ticks and fleas or I would just give up. Maybe cover your tenders that are most important until they get larger. Row cover mini style in the greenhouse. (?) I always cover my greens in the garden from flea beatles, etc until they move on. Asparagus and peppers... |
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