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"Sawdust" on some plants

wordwiz said:
And a Filus Blue looks like it has two buds, though I can't tell for sure.

Mike
Click to expand...

Filus Blue is the name of the pepper plant. I also posted my pic to show WW what his flowers would look like.
Duh... It's my avatar. I forgot.
It's seems to have blue stamens.
 
The plants, all of them, have been sprayed with a multipurpose anti-fiend vegetable spray which I have. Supposed to kill spider mites, aphids and a bunch of other non-paying, univited freeloaders.

Personally, I would like to use DDT and if all I was going to do was eat the peppers myself, I wouldn't care. I used this stuff for a long time. But some people freak about it and I don't feel comfortable giving peppers (or sauce made from them) without divulging the use.

So where I can I order ladybugs? And do I need gentleman bugs to keep them company (and maybe make babies?)

Mike
 
Mike, I would call some local nurseries before I ordered on-line, it will be cheaper. If you have a organic nursery nearby, they'll probably have them this spring.

If not, just google on "ladybugs" and you'll get dozens of hits.
 
Pam said:
Mike, I would call some local nurseries before I ordered on-line, it will be cheaper. If you have a organic nursery nearby, they'll probably have them this spring.

If not, just google on "ladybugs" and you'll get dozens of hits.
Click to expand...

second what Pam says...check local nurserys first...they may not have them yet since you are so much further north than I am...it is spring here and all the local nurserys have them in stock...
 
The problem with ordering on-line is the order seems to be for 1500 ladybugs. That's 30 bugs per plant - a little too many, I would think. I've only got about 12 square feet to cover.

Mike
 
You can refridgerate them and release them for up to a month or more. I've gone through 9000+ of them this year so far and am getting people to collect them for me now that the're coming out of hibernation.
 
I ordered 2000, and it does my heart good to see them crawling all over the plants in the hoop house, having lady bug sex, ladybug conga lines, and lady bug gang bangs. They'll stay in the hoop house for at least a week, too, so I can be sure of having lots of eggs and larva before they get to fly free.
 
My sister dropped by to ogle some pepper seedlings and her lettuce bowl, and went into the hoop house to see all the lady bugs. She was looking at the branch of an Australian Lantern and said "Well, I see a few...how many did you turn loose?".

I told her to look up. There were a couple of dozen on the rib and ridge line above her head. She glanced up and said, "oh". then her eyes got wide and she said "OH! Well, *that's* not very lady-like!"
 
I found this picture this morning when I was looking for something else...from Dave Dewitts site...

caption for picture says "Tiny whiteflies are one of the problems with growing peppers indoors"...looks a lot like what your original pictures did Mike...

whiteflies.jpg
 
Yes, I would think, but now...I'm not so sure about their diagnosis. Look at the sticky stuff. Looks like aphid resin.
Sorry to be so disagreeable.
 
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