AARRGHHHH ! TSWV !
On Thu, 25 Jun 2015 13:59:03 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:
Boron Elgar wrote:
On Thu, 25 Jun 2015 08:12:43 -0700 (PDT), Steve Peek
wrote:
On Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at 6:46:37 PM UTC-4, Boron Elgar wrote:
On Wed, 24 Jun 2015 12:29:12 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:
Finally figured out - with the help of a couple of knowledgeable
local folks - that my tomatoes have tomato spotted wilt virus .
Nasty little bugs called thrips are the vector , and the key is to
control them . There are many solutions presented , most of which
call for insecticides ... which ain't gonna happen here . The
least toxic solutions however involve using a soap solution , and
this is my first choice . I have a mixture of Ivory soap , water ,
and some red pepper extract that I used last year for some bugs on
some plants , and that is what I will be using . I have already
wetted about half of my tomatoes with this , will do the rest
tomorrow before the dew evaporates . The only drawback to soap is
that it's not at all persistent , you have to spray the little
buggers and wet them to be effective . I guess it'll mean spraying
a couple of times a week for a couple of weeks , but worth the
effort if it makes the difference between getting a crop and not
...
Are you seeing thrips?
Generally thrips can not be seen with the naked eye.
Sure they can...it just takes careful looking about if thrips-like
damage is evident.
And they are some tiny little ba***rds . At .040 to .080 inches long , I
have to look closely to see them , and then see them only in strong sunlight
. They're actually about the same size as bee eggs - and they too can be
hard to see .
And even harder to identify as no-good or benign.
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