Aphids - All up in my tomatoes

[NeedleCast]

Is there a healthy, organic way to kill aphids?

[Kolesar]

1. Spray the undersides of the leaves to wash them off

Or so I have heard

[bvar22]

2. Neem Oil should work.

"Neem oil is a vegetable oil pressed from the fruits and seeds of neem (Azadirachta indica), an evergreen tree which is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and has been introduced to many other areas in the tropics. It is perhaps the most important of the commercially available products of neem for organic farming and medicines."

You will have to Google it to find name brands.
We were suspicious of it at first, but over the last year we have become comfortable with using it.
Be careful to spray it in the evenings after the bees go to sleep.
It won't physically hurt them, but if they get the oil on them, they may not be able to fly.

Neem Oil should protect against any insect that eats your veggies.
It is also good protection against fungal infections.
The oil coating prevents most fungal spores from infecting your plants.

The only downside to Neem is that you have to apply it weekly, and may have some leaf singe effects at high daytime temps. We discontinue when temps go into the 90s.

I've recently read some web based anecdotal testimony about people using Neem Oil in a topical application (rub it on their skin) treatment for Arthritis.

Before Neem, we used to spray them off with a water hose, and then spray some hot pepper and soap concoction that Starkraven conjured up in her kettle under the light of a full moon while chanting some obscure invocations.
That stuff worked pretty good too.

Lady Bugs eat aphids.
You can buy them by the thousands on the Internet:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MR6WRG/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=2406784221&ref=pd_sl_16gw3n5znw_b

[NeedleCast]

3. Thanks!

To both of you

I'm going to give the ladybugs a shot tonight although that seems like a slow(er) way to rid myself of aphids...it does seem like the most fun. I'm having dreams of watching a ladybug based aphid massacre right in front of me. My local nursary carries Neem oil so I'll give that a shot too if the ladybugs prove ineffective.

[bvar22]

4. You're welcome.

Even though I try to follow Gandhi, The Buddha, and the Delai Lama in seeking Peace, and loving all of creation, I have taken delight in watching some groups of The Creation massacre other groups of The Creation.

We used to hate dealing with Tomato Horn Worms.
NOW, we actually enjoy finding them.....
because we simply cut off the branch the worm is on,
and throw it to the chickens, branch and all.

The chickens LOVE it, and we have fun doing it.
I'm absolutely certain that the Velociraptor evolved into the modern chicken.
You would think so too if you ever get to watch a chicken attack and devour a Tomato Hornworn.
.
.
.
.
Oh-Oh.
I've been bad.
I have taken pleasure in killing.
I will pay a horrible Karmic price.
I'll have to stop...right after the next one!

[MuseRider]

6. LOL

It sounds much like our twice daily "red massacre" of Colorado Potato Beetle larvae last year. 90 feet of potatoes infested twice daily with hundreds of them. Somehow I was able to bring myself up to that.

[beac]

5. Plant marigolds around your tomatoes to prevent future infestation.

Note that only the scented varieties (aka "French Marigolds") repel the aphids.

[hippywife]

8. We plant borage

around our tomatoes and it works great! Plus you get lovely purple flowers along the border. :hi:

[beac]

9. Do you grow it from seed next to the tomato or set it out as a plant (grown indoors/elsewhere)?

Always happy to have another natural way to thwart the creepy-crawlies.

[hippywife]

10. From seed.

We plant in large boxes and just put the seed in around the inside edges.

We were totally wiped out by squash beetles last year so Bill planted it everywhere this year to see how it will work with other veggies.

[beac]

11. Off to buy some borage seed!

:hi:

[Freedom420]

7. AzaMax

like the above poster... Neem is great! >not to sound like an ad for them, but> I recently came across a similar, but more efficient product called Aza Max. It also is great for a foliage spray, but works wonders too when mixing it when watering to get to the roots and into your grow medium. I use soil, but have heard it works well in hydroponics too, the company who makes it is called General Hydroponics in fact...

for foliage sprays, i usually mix with warm water and a lil dish soap. oh, it doesnt smell as strong as Neem Oil either. All organic as well.


http://www.generalhydroponics.com/genhydro_US/azamax.html