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Post by desertwoman on Sept 12, 2020 23:02:51 GMT -5
I've never had aphids in the veggie garden... until this year. The kale and lettuce plants got covered, seemingly overnight. At least quickly. And I mean covered. It was impressive how many of those little suckers were on the plants. I pulled out all the plants and bagged them up to the trash. But I'm sure a bunch of those aphids dropped to the soil. I flooded that bed with water in hopes of drowning them but I am wondering if they or eggs will overwinter and be a problem in the spring.
Has anyone had this happen? Do I need to do anything now, preventatively, for next spring? Or do you think my water bath took care of it?
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Post by Mumsey on Sept 13, 2020 4:44:05 GMT -5
I have had them in the past on peppers, I just kept spraying them off and lived with them til the end of the season. This year they have attacked pole beans and tomato vines. I'm ignoring them for the most part since it's late in the season. We went several years without them after that pepper attack year.
I pretty much don't worry about them unless they show up earlier in the season. They are bothersome when picking bushy tomatoes, they fly everywhere when disturbed.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Sept 13, 2020 10:11:40 GMT -5
I watch for aphids on okra. I have gotten them on tomatoes, occasionally, but only on certain varieties, which would get covered with them almost overnight, in between others that wouldn't get touched! Something about certain varieties that seem to be aphid magnets - I'd grow them years apart, and the same thing would happen. Now, if it happens once with a variety, I just pull them, and never grow that again.
Watch for ants - where there are ants on plants, there are usually aphids, being farmed by the ants!
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Post by tom π on Sept 13, 2020 10:28:09 GMT -5
I watch for aphids on okra. Surround doesn't keep aphids off okra?
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Post by pepperhead212 on Sept 13, 2020 12:08:16 GMT -5
I watch for aphids on okra. Surround doesn't keep aphids off okra? Yes, Surround keeps them off pretty well, but the probleme can be like this year, when I had a period of time when it rained constantly, or close to it, for a couple of weeks, causing fungal diseases, and I could not get the surround back on, though it does not was off the undersides of the leaves as easily. Still, that's when I started seeing the aphids - those black spots, esp. starting on the very ends of the branches, on the unopened leaves and flowers. Insecticidal soap helps some, but only briefly - neem oil is better, and helps the fungal diseases, but when this started, it was too hot out to use any kind of oil. Despite these conditions, I'm still getting okra every day, though a couple plants didn't grow well at all.
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Post by tbird on Sept 13, 2020 12:34:47 GMT -5
I'd be worried if I were you. Best to be prepared for problems next year, on the better safe than sorry angle.
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Sept 13, 2020 12:53:01 GMT -5
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Post by datgirl on Sept 14, 2020 18:35:12 GMT -5
I had aphids on the milkweed really bad. I saw a couple of ladybugs one day so I was hoping they would hang around a while. Well then I started to see the larvae so it was a good thing. I had aphid really bad on my spinach in the spring. Don't want to deal with that again.
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Post by James on Sept 16, 2020 9:18:53 GMT -5
Garden pests are likely a part of every garden. You can just let them run and live with what is left, or you can take some steps to remove the pest. Your decision.
You might ask: "Why did I plant a garden?" If the answer comes up: "To feed the wild critters." then you are good to go. If the answer comes up: "To provide food for my family" Then you are required to protect that investment by whatever means necessary. Have a great garden!
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Post by gardendmpls on Sept 16, 2020 22:00:33 GMT -5
James, A third answer would be to share, if possible. Had a squirrel once who would sit on a bench and eat one half of a tomato per day. Had plenty enough to spare him that. When aphids take over the kale, it goes to the chickens, which turn it into eggs. Don't know if this is a good example of sharing, though, as the aphids don't seem to gain much from the sharing. Chickens do, though.
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Post by gardendmpls on Sept 21, 2020 10:06:38 GMT -5
Grow good food, be creative, have contemplative time weeding, attract a bit of wildlife from birds to bugs, get some fresh air and exercise, be outside, teach my grand kids about where food comes from and how work can bring rewards, get perspective on how intricate God's creations are, have a place to put the chicken poop. Sure there are more, but that is what came to mind first.
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Post by gardendmpls on Sept 21, 2020 10:34:52 GMT -5
desertwoman, Think Jame's question deserves it's own thread.
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Post by desertwoman on Sept 21, 2020 11:57:49 GMT -5
Think Jame's question deserves it's own thread. Done!
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