Bugs in my potted veggies

Forums: Pets And Garden, Bugs, Gardening, Spiders, Mold
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I have -
yellow squash
Eggplant
several tomato varities ( 5 to be exact)
a boston fern ( offers soil coverage to keep it from going bone dry too quickly)
tiger melons
snap peas
Oregano
basil
Rosemary
Cauliflower
Broccoli

Out of each of those, I have 2-4 different varieties..
All of the large leaf plants seem to be getting infested which I do not understand. I am on the second floor.. no animals other then my own, no birds.......many bugs though, flies, bees, bees and more bees.. and I am about to throw in the towel and grab some sulfuric acid Im so frustrated.

My yellow swuash has white dust on it that seems to be rot. Someone on another forum suggested a light salt water wash of the leaves. I thought they were smoking something, but I tried it anyway. I *thought I saw a difference, but.. now I dont.

I see ants in my large pots.

I see aphids ( cured with marigolds yes?)

I see little black dots of bugs too

bugs bugs bugs bugs bugs..

I have a very small patio so unfortunately, everything has to be crowded together. But it is constantly humid and the soil is organic with some fresh off the farm manure mixed in along with a little organic plant feeder and a smidgen of my friends compost.
Watered with fish emollient once a month I am wondering if I am feeding these bugs too?

What can I do that does not involve heavy chemicals? I am not beyond using a light spray of some kind but I would really really love to avoid that if possible..

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Type: Question • Score: 7 • Views: 8,349 • Replies: 89

[+3] - ehBeth - 05/23/2009[quote="shewolfnm"] 6 green bell peppers which is disappointing. This was supposed to be an orange bell pepper plant. Im not a big fan of green at all. But, I can trade them . [/quote]...

@shewolfnm,

a drop of mild dish detergent in a spray bottle of water...

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on everything?

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@shewolfnm,

I use it on all my houseplants, and I have used it outside on tomatoes and cukes.

(you know I am no expert, she will be along shortly...)

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@Rockhead,

Agree, and some people add canola to that. I forget the exact recipe, and why or why not canola would help. Probably something to do with some physics thing like surface tension or emulsion making.

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@ossobuco,

I didn't immediately find the old recipe with soap and canola and water but this link, which mentions boiled orange peels and tomato leaves and garlic.
http://organic.lovetoknow.com/Organic_Aphid_Spray
Happy googleing.

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i just bought a bag of organic oranges.
Im going to try that one first.

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@shewolfnm,

Which brings up, one of my favorite foods is home made candied orange peel. Better than chocolate..

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@Rockhead,

yeah, but remember to spray both the top of the leaf and the bottom and do it often (more than once per week)

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@dyslexia,

With some bugs, plain water will do. Aphids, historically. When I've had them on plants I spray twice a day, and yes, under the leaf as well. On the other hand, aphids are part of a circle. Hmm, ant time is revving up.

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My gardening friends in India swear by Neem oil. They also have lots of recipes for insecticidal soaps. I'll look for them and post a few for you.

Here you go, a direct copy and paste from our gardening forum:

Quote:

An organic inseticidal soap mixture that is effective in destroying soft-bodied insects such as:

aphids
mealybugs
spider mites
thrips
soft brown scale
psyllids
rose or pear slugs - sawfly larvae
earwigs
lace bugs
whiteflies

It works by breaking down the coating that helps the adult or young insect retain moisture in its body. Once this coating is disrupted, the insect dehydrates and dies.

A homemade insecticidal soap can be made from adding a tablespoon or two of mild soap to a gallon of water. A few drops of cooking oil can be added as well, which will help the mixture cling better to the leaves and not evaporate so quickly, giving more time for the insects to come in contact with it.

Heres a popular recipe for an insecticidal soap

1 Tablespoon soap
1/4 teaspoon cooking oil
3 Tablespoons Cayenne pepper (Tabasco may also be used)
1 gallon warm water

Mix all together well and spray on plants.

It needs to be a soap, not detergent. Look for brands such as Fels Naptha, or Dr. Bronners Castile Soap, etc. Check the labels to be sure it is a soap. Detergents are a cleansing substance that acts similarly to soap but is made from chemical compounds rather than fats and lye. Dr. Bonners Castile soap is a vegetarian version if that is meaningful to anyone.

Also, insecticidal soaps must come into contact with the insect in order to do the job. Apply the spray in the early morning or late afternoon so that it can remain wet for a longer period of time. All the insect has to do is to get a little on him for it to do the job.

Be sure to spray both sides of the leaves. I'd also test a very small portion of your plant first to be sure your plant can tolerate the spray.

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@Butrflynet,

I think of neem oil as having diff applications than insecticidal soaps, but I guess your links went on to explain that.

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I go into the fields and collect preying mantid egg clusters and the branches on which they are fused. I do this during my winter walks. I plant the sticks in to areas of my garden which will recieve planting. Then, after I plant, the little mantids hatch during the first warm spells and will have ready meals of bugs.
This has kept my garden free of all sorts of little bugs (and later moth larvae).

Soap solutions are better made up with very light oil in the mix ,cause an insecticide soap will stress the plants if left on the plant without an occasional rain to wash the stuff off.

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I will make that soap.
Thank you for that.

I have thought of purchasing some bugs too... but.. would that be a waste of money? Will they hang around a potted plant patio?

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@shewolfnm,

See if you can find products by Safer. The nursery we pm'd about a few months ago should carry the line. Here's what the bottle looks like. Watch out for look-a-likes that are not organic:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41PFmA9XG2L._SL500_AA280_.jpg

Also, "fresh off the farm manure" should be no where near your plants. Manure needs to be composted for at least a year in order to kill weed seeds and insect eggs. Fresh manure can literally burn plants and brings in all kinds of problems.

Why are bees are problem? No bees, no food.

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@shewolfnm,

Ladybugs eat aphids and they will hang around as long as there are aphids. I hate aphids. You poor thing. That white dust is a mold, I believe. Very common on plants that are crowded together. I forget exactly what it's called, but I've experienced it. Isolate those plants and treat them. Soap and water work on aphids and other things, too.

In my experience, homemade remedies are crap. I've had gardens full of cutworms and tried all the natural, organic remedies and still had the problem. They ate my honeysuckle, clematis, daisies etc etc etc to the ground. They even gravitated to my heather and holly (not too tasty or succulent). After 8 yrs of experimenting, going out several times per night every blasted night between Feb and Oct, and cutting them in half (dozens and dozens of them), I tried some nasty product (Diazanon??). It worked. However, you would NEVER use that on anything you'd eat (herbs, tomatoes). Just flowers and shrubs.

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@Mame,

Ah, powdery mildew..

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@Green Witch,

Another vote for Safer's products - and no fresh manure.

If possible, get a bit of space between your plants. Too densely planted/stacked/crowded can make it difficult to effect a good recovery.

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@shewolfnm,

Bees and lady bugs are good. Encourage the good bees. The lady bugs may arrive on their own without having to buy them.

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@shewolfnm,

shewolfnm wrote:

But it is constantly humid and the soil is organic with some fresh off the farm manure mixed in along with a little organic plant feeder and a smidgen of my friends compost. Watered with fish emollient once a month I am wondering if I am feeding these bugs too?

you might have overdone things a bit with the enrichment

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Bugs in my potted veggies

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