Well, it's the dog days of summer... The slowest part of the actual growing season. My plants have slowed down, (still bearing, of course) the bugs have mostly died back, and I'm in that holding pattern, waiting for cooler fall temps to jump start my second growing season.
But alas... Just as my beneficial bugs have started to recede, due to a reduction in their food sources, up crops the bane of plant lovers everywhere - the dreaded whitefly.
Can't really shake them. I normally inoculate (for lack of a better term) my plants with compost teas. There's no real magic, other than the teas seem to make plants undesirable to sucking insects, apparently by making them taste bad. (my theory, anyway) However, we've been getting a lot of rain, and the whitefly have apparently decided that it's better to suck on a bad tasting plant in a screened porch, than have to pick themselves up after every brutal rain
So I need some help. Before anybody chimes in, there are some conditions. I need somebody who is a real expert at battling these little bastards. There will be no Sevin dust used. (this is an organic grow) Nor will there be any garlic or dishsoap. (I refuse to kill off my good bugs) So we have a real problem.
I will begin using the yellow sticky traps. But that will not be enough. I have too many plants to shake and torch, or to vacuum. And again, because I have well established colonies of good bugs, the high pressure water treatement will not be employed.
Only the best need apply for this job. I'm going to lose these plants if I don't get some help.
By the way... it appears whitefly prefer certain varieties over others. Go figure!
But alas... Just as my beneficial bugs have started to recede, due to a reduction in their food sources, up crops the bane of plant lovers everywhere - the dreaded whitefly.
Can't really shake them. I normally inoculate (for lack of a better term) my plants with compost teas. There's no real magic, other than the teas seem to make plants undesirable to sucking insects, apparently by making them taste bad. (my theory, anyway) However, we've been getting a lot of rain, and the whitefly have apparently decided that it's better to suck on a bad tasting plant in a screened porch, than have to pick themselves up after every brutal rain
So I need some help. Before anybody chimes in, there are some conditions. I need somebody who is a real expert at battling these little bastards. There will be no Sevin dust used. (this is an organic grow) Nor will there be any garlic or dishsoap. (I refuse to kill off my good bugs) So we have a real problem.
I will begin using the yellow sticky traps. But that will not be enough. I have too many plants to shake and torch, or to vacuum. And again, because I have well established colonies of good bugs, the high pressure water treatement will not be employed.
Only the best need apply for this job. I'm going to lose these plants if I don't get some help.
By the way... it appears whitefly prefer certain varieties over others. Go figure!