I went out to the garden this morning to cut some end of season kale to bring to some co-workers and discovered they had a sizable infestation of whitefly. I had checked these same plants on Sunday and they were fine. So, I think I've caught this at the beginning. I've pulled all the kale and started spraying everything close by with Safer. What else can I be doing?
Anyone have any good ORGANIC ways of dealing with whitefly?
David
According to the Rodale "Color Handbook of Garden Insects" the natural control is to dust with tobacco dust or spray with tobacco tea.
Use a vacuum to suck up the adults (best in cool of morning) . Spray underside of leaves with soap solution *mixed with seaweed (kelp)*.
Whitefly "dislikes plant with high magnesium content." (Did they show any signs of yellowing between the veins?) Dolomitic limestone or use of some other source of magnesium might be indicated.
Whitefly might also indicate plants stressed for phosphorous.
(Quote and other advice from _The Organic Method Primer_)
I don't know much so I'm just throwing out what I think are interesting links. I'll let someone else comment on whether or not they are really effective.
I've found some information on using Insect Parasitic Nematodes...
This site seems like a good source of information... there's a list of "whitefly controls" towards the bottom. Their website is set up quite nice. They have some descriptions and some pictures as well, and the advertising doesn't seem overly abused.
I've got a young belle pepper infested by something. They don't seem to be whiteflies, and am looking for help with these guys. They look like they are going to eat that plant up. I'm posting the pictures in a moment in alt.binaries.pictures.gardens. They do not seem to be bothering the purple basil plant 2 inches away, just the belle pepper.
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
-- Jim Carlock Please post replies to newsgroup.
Use a vacuum to suck up the adults (best in cool of morning) . Spray underside of leaves with soap solution *mixed with seaweed (kelp)*.
Whitefly "dislikes plant with high magnesium content." (Did they show any signs of yellowing between the veins?) Dolomitic limestone or use of some other source of magnesium might be indicated.
Whitefly might also indicate plants stressed for phosphorous.
(Quote and other advice from _The Organic Method Primer_)
Green Lacewings!
Lots of places, both local and on-line sell the eggs.
Penelope
Thank you to all who replied to my inquiry. I'd checked most of my books and did a google and came up with most of the same possible remedies. It rained most of the day today so its hard to say how well I did in catching them yesterday. I'll keep working with the Safer for a couple more days and if they aren't under control I'll go for the Green Lacewings. I've used Lady Bugs for Aphids before, but never the Lacewings.
Again, thank you all, nice to have a group to bounce ideas of off.
David
tobacco of any kind is not a good idea. it was used in the Victorian age, it will kill all insects including the good ones. and all so it was found to be detrimental to the gardeners who had to use it. and that is why it fell in to disuse. hope this helps you.
Richard M. Watkin.
indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Oh, lets give them cancer instead :-)). I have an old old book that mentions that too, but it also talks of DDT, so I suspect tobacco is obsolete also.
Mother Earth talks of a salt ans water solution ( no % given). It also mentions using Bacillus Thuringiensis as a bio control. for caterpillars and a whitefly parasite called Encarsia. Even a blast of hose water can remove some insects. I use this on my roses to keep the aphids down, they never get sprayed and seem to survive.
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