Impossible pest

rick9748 · May 28, 2017

Have any of you had tomato curly top leaf virus on your plants.The leaf hopper spreads it and once it bites your plant that's it.Week or two later the very top new growth begins to curl up into a tight ball.Will stay green for a week or so and plant stops growing.Had to pull up 8 of 30 plants last year and see it on at least 4 plants now.Will pull up and take off tomorrow.
Have read 6/8 university sites and they offer no solution.Just wondering if any of you have a magic trick.

Disgusted with this continuing problem with no solution!!
Rick

PS; Help if you can.

MissS · May 28, 2017

I'm so sorry to hear that you are experiencing this again. I have not had this, however, if you use DE (diatomaceous earth) on your plants it will kill any insect that comes into contact with it. The downfall with this is that is kills the beneficials along with the pests. This is a powder that you can dust with or mix 1/4 cup to a gallon of water. Shake the tank frequently to keep the powder from settling. Some people add soap and an insecticide to the mix.

AlittleSalt · May 29, 2017

Leaf Hopper is a general name for a lot of insects/species from the family (I have to look it up again) Cicadellidae. I agree with using diatomaceous earth if you want to go organic. Use Triazicide if you don't mind using man-made chemicals/insecticides.
.

Worth1 · May 29, 2017

I have a small stash of diazinon that knocks them for a loop.

Mine have came back and I have been chasing them down and killing them by hand.
I have no idea where they came from and have only seen them here once before.
That time they took out 9 of 10 oleander plants.
They died one right after another.
As soon as I saw it going on I pulled them up and put them in the trash.
There is no cure for oleander leaf scorch.
Worth

b54red · May 29, 2017

What do they look like? Does anyone have a picture to post of them?

Bill

Nematode · May 29, 2017

Is CTV really in the east?
That would be bad news.

Worth1 · May 29, 2017

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glas...d_sharpshooter

b54red · May 29, 2017

I believe that is the same little monster that ruined peaches around here. It carried some kind of virus that causes peaches to drop their baby fruit meaning you can have a big pretty tree but no fruit. My peaches were ruined by them along with all the local peach orchards. I don't know of any one who has grown any peaches around here in the last ten to fifteen years because of them.

Bill

Worth1 · May 29, 2017

Different kinds carry different diseases.
I hate the things.
Worth

Salsacharley · May 29, 2017

If you've got weeds nearby they can host the leaf hoppers by providing a launching platform for them to multiply and spread. I know that in my area flowering weeds have supported disastrous armies of the leaf hopper and destroyed large crops. There's no cure from what I know other than trying to keep your immediate area weed free.

May 28, 2017	#1
rick9748 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: south carolina Posts: 175	Impossible pest Have any of you had tomato curly top leaf virus on your plants.The leaf hopper spreads it and once it bites your plant that's it.Week or two later the very top new growth begins to curl up into a tight ball.Will stay green for a week or so and plant stops growing.Had to pull up 8 of 30 plants last year and see it on at least 4 plants now.Will pull up and take off tomorrow. Have read 6/8 university sites and they offer no solution.Just wondering if any of you have a magic trick. Disgusted with this continuing problem with no solution!! Rick PS; Help if you can.

May 28, 2017	#2
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,150	I'm so sorry to hear that you are experiencing this again. I have not had this, however, if you use DE (diatomaceous earth) on your plants it will kill any insect that comes into contact with it. The downfall with this is that is kills the beneficials along with the pests. This is a powder that you can dust with or mix 1/4 cup to a gallon of water. Shake the tank frequently to keep the powder from settling. Some people add soap and an insecticide to the mix. __________________ ~ Patti ~

May 29, 2017	#3
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Leaf Hopper is a general name for a lot of insects/species from the family (I have to look it up again) Cicadellidae. I agree with using diatomaceous earth if you want to go organic. Use Triazicide if you don't mind using man-made chemicals/insecticides. .

May 29, 2017	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I have a small stash of diazinon that knocks them for a loop. Mine have came back and I have been chasing them down and killing them by hand. I have no idea where they came from and have only seen them here once before. That time they took out 9 of 10 oleander plants. They died one right after another. As soon as I saw it going on I pulled them up and put them in the trash. There is no cure for oleander leaf scorch. Worth

May 29, 2017	#5
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	What do they look like? Does anyone have a picture to post of them? Bill

May 29, 2017	#6
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	Is CTV really in the east? That would be bad news.

May 29, 2017	#10
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	If you've got weeds nearby they can host the leaf hoppers by providing a launching platform for them to multiply and spread. I know that in my area flowering weeds have supported disastrous armies of the leaf hopper and destroyed large crops. There's no cure from what I know other than trying to keep your immediate area weed free.