No worries - I appreciate you taking time to respond. Mine are in 5 gallonbuckets with a mix of garden soil, cow manure compost and perlite.PtMD989 said:
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Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.
Is this calcium deficiency??
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That's classic broad mite damage. (they're too small to see, but if you have access to a microscope and a flashlight, you can see them on the leaves) Try dusting your plant with sulfur, in an isolated area. Don't get it into the soil.
You don't want to kill all of your good bugs on all the plants.
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For next season, look into companion planting in the area that you have your peppers. There are a few plants that will deter broad mites, as well as their vectors. (they like to hitch rides on the legs of whitefly)
You don't want to kill all of your good bugs on all the plants.
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For next season, look into companion planting in the area that you have your peppers. There are a few plants that will deter broad mites, as well as their vectors. (they like to hitch rides on the legs of whitefly)
Thanks for response. I tried looking under leaves with a 60x jeweler loupe, but didnt see anything ok about 25 leaves from 8 plants.
I had gone ahead and ordered some Avid while I waited on loupe to arrive as a just in case. But I havent used any yet as I didnt see any mites.
I had gone ahead and ordered some Avid while I waited on loupe to arrive as a just in case. But I havent used any yet as I didnt see any mites.
So... the other part of that, is that often, when you see the damage, they may have moved on. I'm sorry, those little things are the worst blight ever. They do their damage silently, and quickly. By the time you see it, it is always too late.
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Typically, you'll find them near the least damaged leaves on an infested plant - especially the younger growth. You may not see them right away - and they move quickly. (as in they physically move quick) But their saliva damages the plant irrevocably. You probably still want to treat the plant, and wait for it to grow out of it.
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Typically, you'll find them near the least damaged leaves on an infested plant - especially the younger growth. You may not see them right away - and they move quickly. (as in they physically move quick) But their saliva damages the plant irrevocably. You probably still want to treat the plant, and wait for it to grow out of it.
Great additional info.
From what Ive gathered the Avid shouldnt stress the plants out so I may do it as a just in case. As I mentioned earlier, some new leaves on some of the plants do look better. And most are setting pods, so Im hopeful all isnt lost.
From what Ive gathered the Avid shouldnt stress the plants out so I may do it as a just in case. As I mentioned earlier, some new leaves on some of the plants do look better. And most are setting pods, so Im hopeful all isnt lost.
Well I checked my plants tonight and no aphids. I did not see any mites but I did see some very small "webs" on some of the plants...so I treated them as spider mites with pyrethrin. I dont know what else to do. I have some azamax that I may use if the pyrethrin does not work.
ÂReaperTheRed said:
Unfortunately, if you're dealing with broad mites, neither of those products is effective.
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Sulfur dust is the way to get rid of broad mites. (and everything else, really) But you won't be able to apply it for 2 weeks before/after using other products. You also will want to do it at night, and maybe keep the plant in the shade for a day or so after application. Don't get it in the soil, or it will change the PH, and harm some of your beneficials in the soil.
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The plant damage that's done is done, and the plant will be sluggish to recover from it. Don't give up...
So hey solid, aside from companion planting are there any IPM strategies to prevent this from occurring?solid7 said:
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Definitely. Keep any and all other plants from the yard from touching your garden plants. Keep the place trimmed and weeded. If you're in the shade part or most of the time, you'll get more whitefly. You may need to set sticky traps. A quick Google will show you several methods of making them, depending on whether you want to be eco-friendly, or just an outright whitefly barbarian.
Edmick suggested in another thread that whitefly favored his zucchini. So, there is potential to grow "sacrificial" plants. The idea being, that periodically, you'd reap the sacrificial plant, and burn it in fire, so as to destroy the tough larval stages. However, one would need to be methodical, as you'd want to find overlap between the grow cycle of your plant, and the lifecycle of the whitefly. There is a potential to actually create a favorable breeding grounds, in this case, so only do this if you're really committed.
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Try to encourage as much diversity of life as you can in your garden, also. Attract as many types of flora and fauna as you can. By creating a diverse garden, you'll attract beneficial insects and microorganisms that will do a lot of the work for you. Be advised, however... You will want to research what plants attract what. Always.
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In addition, I can't stress enough, that if you're planted in-ground, you always want organic crop cover. Here, I use palm fronds as ground cover/mulch. But pine bark, leaves, grass clippings, etc. You'll discourage everything that's nasty under the soil. (nematodes, in particular) Â
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My best advice for a complete strategy, is to mimic nature. Nature never fertilizes, or sprays weed killer. You may, in some cases, come to the conclusion that nature didn't intend certain pests, and it doesn't offer a solution, in those same cases. But that's part of the learning process.
Edmick suggested in another thread that whitefly favored his zucchini. So, there is potential to grow "sacrificial" plants. The idea being, that periodically, you'd reap the sacrificial plant, and burn it in fire, so as to destroy the tough larval stages. However, one would need to be methodical, as you'd want to find overlap between the grow cycle of your plant, and the lifecycle of the whitefly. There is a potential to actually create a favorable breeding grounds, in this case, so only do this if you're really committed.
Â
Try to encourage as much diversity of life as you can in your garden, also. Attract as many types of flora and fauna as you can. By creating a diverse garden, you'll attract beneficial insects and microorganisms that will do a lot of the work for you. Be advised, however... You will want to research what plants attract what. Always.
Â
In addition, I can't stress enough, that if you're planted in-ground, you always want organic crop cover. Here, I use palm fronds as ground cover/mulch. But pine bark, leaves, grass clippings, etc. You'll discourage everything that's nasty under the soil. (nematodes, in particular) Â
Â
My best advice for a complete strategy, is to mimic nature. Nature never fertilizes, or sprays weed killer. You may, in some cases, come to the conclusion that nature didn't intend certain pests, and it doesn't offer a solution, in those same cases. But that's part of the learning process.
Very thorough and well thought out, that helps a lot. So for ground cover how does straw fare? I have access to pine bark etc but bales of straw are super cheap where I'm at. Is there anything you put in the soil media for prevention or just the usual amendments and such? And what are the best remedial products if you're able to catch an invasion quickly? For the general broad range of pests frequently encountered, that is? Thanks man! Now I just need to figure out how to set up this tapatalk so it actually notifies me when someone replies to my post or comments!! Grrrr.solid7 said:
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Straw is a mulch that that is great for keeping moisture in, weeds down. But ideally, you want something that contributes to overall soil health. I'd always opt for hay over straw. And if you can't afford hay, buy alfalfa seed, and plant it as a cover crop when your garden gets bigger. Then, just mow it down, and let it lie in place for next season, and keep piling on new plant matter. Any kind of plant matter is great, so long as you know where it comes from. (to make sure that there's nothing nasty in it)
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So, as I've said before - if you catch an invasion as it's building up, sulphur dust is the way to eradicate it. You don't want to go nuclear with it in the garden, though, because it's an equal opportunity decimator.
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I made the suggestion of the organic matter, though, because broad mites hate it. They don't like to live in it, walk in it, etc. If you have whiteflies, it won't prevent them from hitching rides. But since you brought up IPM, that fits.
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Also, if you implement a compost in place strategy, you'll get to the point where you may not even have to add any extra goodies to your garden. For pots, you'll always have to amend, though. (unless your pots are huge and the bottom of the media contacts earth. (i.e., bottomless containers)
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So, as I've said before - if you catch an invasion as it's building up, sulphur dust is the way to eradicate it. You don't want to go nuclear with it in the garden, though, because it's an equal opportunity decimator.
.
I made the suggestion of the organic matter, though, because broad mites hate it. They don't like to live in it, walk in it, etc. If you have whiteflies, it won't prevent them from hitching rides. But since you brought up IPM, that fits.
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Also, if you implement a compost in place strategy, you'll get to the point where you may not even have to add any extra goodies to your garden. For pots, you'll always have to amend, though. (unless your pots are huge and the bottom of the media contacts earth. (i.e., bottomless containers)
Check your new leaves that are just popping out. If they are like miniature normal big leaves your problem is probably pests. If they are like miniature shrivelled leaves then your problem is more likely nutrient deficiency.
Some Calcium, Magnesium and Iron wouldn't hurt. Just don't overdo it and add too much. Check every 2-3 days and see if you notice any difference.
Some Calcium, Magnesium and Iron wouldn't hurt. Just don't overdo it and add too much. Check every 2-3 days and see if you notice any difference.
Awesome, good to know and I guess the stuff at the co-op is hay so I should be in businesssolid7 said:
also, these ants keep coming in my grow bags and perusing around on the containers I have I set directly on the ground (not on porch) and was wondering how to keep them away as I know they protect the dreaded aphid! Maybe drainage trays to act like a moat? That's how the hummingbird feeder ant trap thing works lol.. Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk
Ants are tough. I really can't help much with that, because where I live, there are so many different types of ants, it would be a full time job trying to keep them at bay. I've just tried, as much as I can, to learn to live with them. If you keep the aphids down, the ants are just living in your pots. And the good news is, aphids tend to have "waves", so if you get them the 2-3 times a year when their numbers are full enough to be considered epidemic, you've pretty much got a handle on them.
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Some people put out poison traps. I don't. It's just my personal choice. (because once you start going crazy with pest control, you can make a cheap hobby complicated and expensive, and too much like work) But that's an option. I've got lizards, and they do a fair job of feasting on ants. Â
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I hate ants more because they kill my worms. But by the same token, ants also open up tunnels in the pots and in the ground, which is beneficial for the plants. So, it's kind of a zero sum game.
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Some people put out poison traps. I don't. It's just my personal choice. (because once you start going crazy with pest control, you can make a cheap hobby complicated and expensive, and too much like work) But that's an option. I've got lizards, and they do a fair job of feasting on ants. Â
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I hate ants more because they kill my worms. But by the same token, ants also open up tunnels in the pots and in the ground, which is beneficial for the plants. So, it's kind of a zero sum game.
Gotcha.. Yeah I hear ya on the types and sheer numbers of ants where I live as well here in TN and luckily we have lizards toosolid7 said:
hard enough trying to keep the ants from entering and invading everywhere in the home this time of year as well... I will just keep an eye on everything and live with em and try to use some of the knowledge you put on me! Thanks! Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk
Silly question, what is a compost in place strategy? Also, is there any cost/benefit to planting "raised containers" I. E. 3-5gal Nursery containers that have bottom cut out for tomatoes and peppers or no?solid7 said:
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ÂYAMracer754 said:
It's basically where you cover the ground around your plants with leaves, grass clippings, and other organic matter, and encourage the natural breakdown into rich humus. (often enhanced by the use of compost teas or AACT)
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I have some raised planters, and they all have no bottoms. My soil is terrible. In fact, it's not soil, but sand. So, rather than try to condition the sand - which is a fruitless effort - I put raised planters up with good soil in a limited area. The benefit to no bottom, is severalfold. I get all of the worms and beneficial critters that come up through the soil. And, I have no perched water table, that would be present in any container. (no drainage worries) Yet more, I can just keep topping it with new soil, year after year, along with my compost in place. The constrained area limits the amount of material that I have to add in.Â