From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Wisconsin

I know this is a pumpkin growing forum but a friend of mine is struggling big time with aphids on all of his pepper plants and cannot get them under control!! He has tried lady bugs...Sevin...and Imidant and within days his plants are covered again?? I told him I would post on here as there are many great gardeners on this site who are always willing to help! Any suggestions? THANK YOU!!

6/19/2010 6:00:45 AM

The bottom of New Jersey

Hmmmmm, aphids are usually very easy to kill. If he doesn't have too many plants he can just go around and smash them, or spray anything like Pyola or an insecticidal soap even. Sevin will kill ladybugs so he is kind of sabotaging himself by using both. Whatever he sprays, make sure the undersides of the leaves near the tip of the plants gets doused the most, or he will miss a lot of them and they do multiply rapidly. Good luck!

6/19/2010 8:11:09 AM

Colorado Springs, CO

Aphids are many is species, some might fly if going place to place, and walk if going from plant to plant. Try applying a regular sprinkling or dusting of a quality DE around the base of each pumpkin stump and along the early length of that main vine. You could even dust lightly the entire plant. Sure, get heavy rain, and you might then need to apply again. As aphids walk over and through that fine powder it gets into their articulated legs and body hairs and grinds up their body and limbs. Death by razorblades.

A good DE is also a fine source of silica and trace minerals that will benefit cell wall strength of the plant and make leaves less penetrable by such piercing-sucking insects.

Then, you also have the soft-body aphid killing and control effects from product called "Plant Wash", which is diluted (1 to 2 oz./gal.)and sprayed with contact to their bodies. The youngest and softest leaf tissue is where more aphids will likely be found. That same liquid-dilution will also rid leaves and stems of early-arriving pathogens and spores and help to prevent blights, mildews and the like. Such a cleansing of plant leaf and stem tissue is not readily accomplished merely by hose watering. Those opened stomata are now more receptive to your applied foliar feed products.

That DE named "Crawling Insect Killer" and the "Plant Wash" are both available from Soil Mender Products. Review those at their website, call 800#, and perhaps order with credit card. We do not yet have distribution connections into WI.

6/19/2010 4:23:12 PM

Navarre,OH

Homedepot.com has live ladybugs lol

6/19/2010 6:58:52 PM

Pataskala,OH

LOL you really want to sell some plant-wash.

6/19/2010 10:12:46 PM

Bloomington, IN

Miika posted this link a few weeks ago. Might help.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pests/msg0101095824176.html

6/19/2010 11:04:29 PM

Colorado Springs, CO

Yeah,.....and ALL the other guys who post here suggesting and selling their stuff too, like the mycc and the Azo and the list goes on and on and on. PB has a situation to resolve, and I gave him two viable and inexpensive ways to rectify those issues. I really don't care whether he tries either product, or not, same for you too Nic.

6/20/2010 10:52:05 AM

Pataskala,OH

I don't care if you are trying to sell something or not. But if you are it should go in the Equipment For Sale forum like what the Extreme Pumpkin Store does. Instead of on here. Not trying to be harsh or insensitive.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/msgboard/ViewBoard.asp?b=2

6/20/2010 12:28:37 PM

Colorado Springs, CO

Well, let's ask PB....PB, did you go first to the Equipment for Sale category to seek a remedy for your aphids problem ?

Nic, you've got a lot of policing to do if the idea is to re-direct many such helpful comments....that one instead post such replies over there first.

That discussion category is NOT as readily used as you might think. There is 1 posting there this month, and today is the 20th. May had 2 postings, and April only 4. There has been a whole bunch of help shared and posted over the last 3 months in many, many categories that has NOT been sourced first over at that E-for-S forum. Let it rest.

What I shared here is not necessarily "equipment", anyway. Peace, and I mean that.

6/20/2010 12:52:49 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

OK then....Pumpkin Buck, tell your buddy to try neem oil as that is what I use on my "non pumpkin" plants that we intend to eat.

Our strawberries get black aphids really bad and I find that a weekly spraying with a weak solution of neem oil solves that problem...also use it on our apple trees.

Hope that helps.

6/20/2010 1:41:33 PM

Wisconsin

I didn't mean to start any controversy! But I do want to say "thank you" to all who have posted! I e-mailed this page to my buddy and he says the same! I knew you guys would come through! Thanks again!! PB

6/20/2010 3:58:29 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Imidacloprid is OK on peppers see admire label.

But if this was my family garden try any superior spray oil.

For that matter, dish-washing detergent and water usually kills aphids.

6/20/2010 4:28:35 PM

Gold Hill, Oregon

thank you tremor !!!!! i've heard that its good to use old (used) dish water soap on roses for black spot. now a new remedy as well !!! thank you pumpkin buck for starting this everyone else and tremor for your insight. !!!!! good info !!! i have also heard that dish soap is good for soil that resists water (puddling on surface) "don't know for sure but heard" thanks again everyone !!!

6/21/2010 4:18:57 AM