Monday, May 21, 2012
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Life off the grid in the SW Texas desert. An experiment in sustainable living. NUMBERS AT THE END OF EACH BLOG POST: temp at 8PM,high temp,low temp,rainfall,wind conditions(CalmBreezyWindyGusty). YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/TheFieldLab Daily live streams at https://www.youtube.com/thefieldlab/live
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32 comments:
John try a mild solution of Ivory dishwashing liquid to infested area
Natural Control: Predatory spider mites, ladybugs, minute pirate bugs, thrips and lacewings, and lady beetles. Address the cause of the plant stress. Mites attack only sick plants.
Organic Control: Spraying just about anything every three days for nine days will get rid of them. Garlic-pepper tea and seaweed mix is one of the best sprays. Citrus oil sprays are also effective.
Insight: Organic gardeners rarely have spider mite problems because of healthy soil, mulch, and adapted plants that have been planted properly. They are a problem only when soil is too wet or too dry.
Mild soap solution for spray, or lady bugs. I would just stick with a load of lady bugs if you can keep them alive.
Basic Soap Spray
1 to 2 tablespoons liquid soap
1 quart water
Combine ingredients in a bucket, mix, then transfer to a spray bottle as needed.
Garlic Variation
1 to 2 heads garlic, chopped
Enough boiling water to cover
Put garlic in the bottom of a mason jar and cover with boiling water. Put lid on and allow to sit overnight, then strain and add garlic-water to the soap spray. This will decay, so be sure to freeze leftovers until ready to use again.
I'll share what has worked with me and my greenhouse:
For your spider mites, as already posted soapy water will work, but soapy water and Pyrethrum powder will give you longer lasting results.
1. get a good pump-up sprayer of a couple of gallon size, the cheap ones last a year or so before the siphon hose breaks and makes them useless[likes the plastic 2-gallon ones sold at True Value for $14.99]
Since this is a long term project a nicer heavy duty one for $30-40, makes since, since you will use it year round.
2. I get more bugs on my plants in the winter, less air circulation and such, so might want to consider that. Companion planting helps to some degree, but spraying seems to be the best route.
3. For spider mites repeated soapy water sprays will keep them at bay, but a lot of work.
4. A Pyrethrum powder and soapy water mix in your pump-up sprayer works for many bugs, including spider mites.
5. I found that "Country Vet Fly Spray" works wells for many bugs, especially grasshoppers and wasps and such, but too much direct leaf contact will kill that leaf, but not the plant, it contains pyrethrins. Johnson feed store used to carry it, can get it on Amazon also.
6. BT [bacillus thuringiensis] in a wettable powder form will allow you to use your pump-up sprayer to apply it to tomatoes to kill tomato horn worms, which seem to show up after summer rains.
7. Rotenone is another powder that you may want around for stubborn bugs, but be careful with it. It is also the active ingredient in many ant powders.
Someone mentioned air circulation, maybe you need some fans, if you don't already have them.
put Carl in there? bet he'd like some tasty mites.
Rosemary oil mixed with water
Perhaps a diatomaceous earth spray mixture?
Per Jerry Baker, America`s home remedy gardener, mix 2 cups white flour and 1/4 cup of buttermilk in 2 gallons of water. Then pour the mixture into a handheld mist sprayer, and douse your plants from top to bottom.
I know I'm not first, but I thought I'd chime in anyway. Simple pick the infected leaf off the plant, place it in your mouth, chew and swallow. Those pesky mites will not return!
Hey! John...Great photo... How did you get them little sucker to smile...
apple cider vinegar full strength spray. If the smell is too much, lemon juice will work but not as quick.
the rat
I use soapy water diluted in spray bottle to kill all kinds of small insects. But the problem is you need to use biodegradable soap bc it will be on the ground and suds up some later day like in runoff from rain for example(not your problem in greenhouse). But any poison has a residual aspect that you need to consider.
I know several mentioned soap. Not just any kind however. Use Dr. Bronner's and go for the eucalyptus, it works really well where I live. Apply as many lady bugs as possible every 3 weeks are so. They will not stop until they eat their way out of your greenhouse.
I had some problems with spider mites on some potted lemon trees. I used Neem Oil. You have to coat the leaves pretty good but it smothers them.
a number of plant extracts formulated as acaricides (a pesticide that kills mites) that exert an effect on spider mites. These include garlic extract, clove oil, mint oils, rosemary oil, cinnamon oil and others. Don’t use soaps or oils on water-stressed plants or when temperatures exceed 90°F. These materials may injure some plants, so check labels and/or test them out on a portion of the foliage several days before applying a full treatment. Oils and soaps must contact mites to kill them, so excellent coverage, especially on the undersides of leaves, is essential, and repeat applications may be required.
source: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7405.html
a number of plant extracts formulated as acaricides (a pesticide that kills mites) that exert an effect on spider mites. These include garlic extract, clove oil, mint oils, rosemary oil, cinnamon oil and others. Don’t use soaps or oils on water-stressed plants or when temperatures exceed 90°F. These materials may injure some plants, so check labels and/or test them out on a portion of the foliage several days before applying a full treatment. Oils and soaps must contact mites to kill them, so excellent coverage, especially on the undersides of leaves, is essential, and repeat applications may be required.
source: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7405.html
Dusty leaves encourage mites. Isolate infected plants. As temps get higher they will become less active. Consider mite-eating-mites.
lady bugs will spend the winter in a clump of deer grass
Kind of depends on what plant you have the pesky little buggers on. Neem oil works well on many pests including spider mites. Also a fruit tree dormant oil spray will work. Both use suffocation to kill. If using a dormant spray, be sure it is ultra refined. There are mineral oil based sprays and vegie based ones. The Mexican brand Zote pink bar soap found in most grocery laundry aisles also works. It is very high in fatty acids. Grate it up and use up to 2tbs per gallon of water. Use warm water and let it set overnight to completely dissolve. Stir or shake before spraying.
What ever you use, spray your plants of an evening. That way you won't burn them.
From a gardenweb forum:
Nicotine sulfate (tobacco/water tea combined with sulfur) is excellent for use on all plants except members of the nightshade family (potatoes, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes). To make your own tobacco spray: simply combine 1/2 ounce of tobacco per quart of water, soak for one day at room temperature and strain the resultant tea. Nicotine sprays are useful on all insects, but are usually used for aphids. It is not recommended to use nicotine sulfate on plants you intend to use for consumption.
Neem oil!!!
John...You will need a home for all those Ladybugs...
http://www.marthastewart.com/875746/ladybug-habitat
I've been gardening for 40 years.
I've read all the posts.Here's what I know.Call it plan B.It's called organo phosphates and one of the quickest degrading is malation.Buy a jug of it so you don't lose all your crop fooling with things that don't work... and if you still insist on somekind of "natural" concoction read this
as you can cause more damage than the bugs http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05547.html
no shirt for me.........
Tobacco Tea
1 Gallon of water
1 regular bag of chewing tobacco (Red Man brand works for me)
1 very small drop of liquid soap (to help with surface tension)
Make a strong sun tea from the above ingredients, strain and mist on to plants.
Also see
http://www.plasmaneem.com/homemade-organic-pesticides.html
From above;
Salt Spray:
Salt, a commodity used in daily life spread its area of application into farms as an insecticide. Crystal salts are observed to cure the plant infected by spider mites. To prepare the Salt spray, Take 2 to three teaspoons of crystal salt and mix it in one gallon of warm water. This mixture is used as a spraying liquid and sprayed over the infested parts.
28 responses dude, wow...i will go in person work for free, leaf by leaf, till ok man ...plan drive by soon again (my mother 's tomb and ashes in BigBend State Park . see yu soon Floopy and Carl) Hope it rains .
www.DirtDoctor.com
for organic gardening info of all kinds. Howard Garrett has been an institution in Dallas for many years. Worth saving the link for future organic gardening information.
Looks like you have a lot of good ideas here to try out. You're going to be busy. Good Luck!
spray a mixture of alcohol and liquid soap. I also like orange oil but you have to purchase. and yes, the dirt doctor is also a resource but usually too complicated.
John, Has anyone mentioned "Neem" oil? Its a natural product and it works great.
This is more of a long term solution, than a short term one, but I use companion planting to deter and confuse the bad bugs, and attract the predator bugs. Anything in the carrot family (dill, coriander, fennel, parsnips, cumin, anise, parsley, lovage) will attract minute pirate bugs that eat spider mites. Garlic, geraniums, and lemon balm are good choices too, but stay away from marigolds, which will attract the mites.
As for sprays, you can make a tea by boiling the leaves of coriander, dill, or rhubarb.
Good luck!
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