My neighbor, who is new to gardening, has aphid in her greenhouse in a
big way. Does anyone know the best way to deal with it?

She gave me some plants, which all went right into the kitchen sink and
got sprayed with the sprayer, to mechanically clean the bugs off. I haven't
used soap yet, but will, if one more spraying doesn't do it.

I've never had aphid in a greenhouse (touch wood) so don't know what it
takes to clean them out. She bought some lady bugs, but I don't know if
that'll handle the problem without human intervention...

Suggestions?

TIA,
Jan

they are very persistant when you get 'em. I use diluted liquid ivery soap
which does a good job on the aphid but does not kill the
eggs........so.....constant watch is reqyired to spray again at the first
sign of new ones......get 'em before they can lay eggs and you will beat
'em........a common problem in a greenhouse.......there are other sprays
that will kill plus have a residual effect so only one spray is
needed......if you dont mind using "those" sprays.......HW
My neighbor, who is new to gardening, has aphid in her greenhouse in a
big way.

Would diluted washing up liquid work for the same purpose? I've also been
attacked by aphids in my greenhouse. Fortunatly the bug spray I have is
suitable for all the plants in my greenhouse, but other options are also
good!

Charlie.

"Jan Flora" wrote in message
...
My neighbor, who is new to gardening, has aphid in her greenhouse in a
big way. Does anyone know the best way to deal with it?

She gave me some plants, which all went right into the kitchen sink and
got sprayed with the sprayer, to mechanically clean the bugs off. I
haven't
used soap yet, but will, if one more spraying doesn't do it.

I've never had aphid in a greenhouse (touch wood) so don't know what it
takes to clean them out. She bought some lady bugs, but I don't know if
that'll handle the problem without human intervention...

Suggestions?

TIA,
Jan

The neighbor is trying to stay strictly organic, if she can. I told her about
the soap & water in a spray bottle trick. I don't think she believed me,
so I loaned her one of my Rodale books. (The Organic Gardening Encyclopedia.)
I hate to see all of her hard work starting plants by seed since Feb. go down
the tubes due to bugs...

Jan


In article 7FCEa.1173568$S_4.1196926@rwcrnsc53, "Anne Middleton/Harold
Walker" wrote:

they are very persistant when you get 'em. I use diluted liquid ivery soap
which does a good job on the aphid but does not kill the
eggs........so.....constant watch is reqyired to spray again at the first
sign of new ones......get 'em before they can lay eggs and you will beat
'em........a common problem in a greenhouse.......there are other sprays
that will kill plus have a residual effect so only one spray is
needed......if you dont mind using "those" sprays.......HW
My neighbor, who is new to gardening, has aphid in her greenhouse in a
big way.

On Sun, 08 Jun 2003 05:30:32 GMT, (Jan
Flora) wrote:


I've never had aphid in a greenhouse (touch wood) so don't know what it
takes to clean them out. She bought some lady bugs, but I don't know if
that'll handle the problem without human intervention...

Suggestions?


I'd try yellow 'sticky traps' - see:

http://www.gardensalive.com/item_dis...uctNumber=8127

They're expensive, but reusable if you buy the 'Tanglefoot'
(the sticky stuff).

Pat

in article , Pat Meadows at
wrote on 6/8/03 5:05 AM:

On Sun, 08 Jun 2003 05:30:32 GMT, (Jan
Flora) wrote:


I've never had aphid in a greenhouse (touch wood) so don't know what it
takes to clean them out. She bought some lady bugs, but I don't know if
that'll handle the problem without human intervention...

Suggestions?


I'd try yellow 'sticky traps' - see:

http://www.gardensalive.com/item_dis...uctNumber=8127

They're expensive, but reusable if you buy the 'Tanglefoot'
(the sticky stuff).

Pat
I was planning to do that. You have given me the final incentive to do so. I
amusing traps for white flies and what appear to be regular fruit flies.

Bill

in article , Jan Flora at
wrote on 6/8/03 3:27 AM:

The neighbor is trying to stay strictly organic, if she can. I told her about
the soap & water in a spray bottle trick. I don't think she believed me,
so I loaned her one of my Rodale books. (The Organic Gardening Encyclopedia.)
I hate to see all of her hard work starting plants by seed since Feb. go down
the tubes due to bugs...


I have posted previously on what I think about the organic scam.

Nevertheless, I think it can be done. Potassium (Safer brand) soap solution
will do the job. If you are a true organic nut, you can do it yourself. I
have not tried it.

Make soap using wood ash as the alkali. Although the potash is inorganic, I
believe that organic nuts will consider it organic. Use a vegetable oil you
consider to be organic. Then follow instructions on how to make the soap
that can be found on the internet. You may even be able to get organic
glycerin for other uses. I consider glycerin to be organic even if others on
this group may not.

Bill

On Sun, 08 Jun 2003 18:58:39 GMT, Repeating Decimal
wrote:

in article , Jan Flora at
wrote on 6/8/03 3:27 AM:

The neighbor is trying to stay strictly organic, if she can. I told her about
the soap & water in a spray bottle trick. I don't think she believed me,
so I loaned her one of my Rodale books. (The Organic Gardening Encyclopedia.)
I hate to see all of her hard work starting plants by seed since Feb. go down
the tubes due to bugs...


I have posted previously on what I think about the organic scam.

Nevertheless, I think it can be done. Potassium (Safer brand) soap solution
will do the job. If you are a true organic nut, you can do it yourself. I
have not tried it.


You know, Bill, your attitude doesn't encourage those of us
who are organic gardeners to have a conversation with you.

You don't need to subscribe to something yourself to be
respectful of other's beliefs.

I am totally uninterested in defending just why I am an
organic gardener, I have good and sufficient reason to
prefer to be one. But I'm not about to debate it with you
(or anyone else) on a newsgroup. No way.

So maybe you'd like try to be a little less trollish?

Pat

On Sun, 08 Jun 2003 10:27:39 GMT, (Jan Flora) wrote:

The neighbor is trying to stay strictly organic, if she can. I told her about
the soap & water in a spray bottle trick.

These won't necessarily help clear a big aphid infestation, but some
other organic options include:

(1) Having some French Marigolds or Limanthes nearby (which attract
beneficial insects, like Ladybugs)

(2) You can also boost the presence of beneficial insects by buying
bug nesting boxes that may attract them (I haven't tried this)

(3) You can buy kits for breeding & releasing Ladybugs and Lacewings
(both of which munch aphids). I have tried this, but am only part way
through, so can't report on the final results.

I can only say, being based in the UK, I had to send off for an
envelope of Ladybug eggs from Belgium, which was a truly surreal
experience (we usually just buy chocolate from there...)

(4) Finally, I have heard that keeping Basil nearby can inhibit
aphids. Don't know the science but I used basil plants in my
greenhouse last year and didn't get any aphids at all (and it was warm
and humid in there too).

Good luck

Colin
-----
Replace the obvious with Bigfoot

in article , Pat Meadows at
wrote on 6/8/03 12:20 PM:

I have posted previously on what I think about the organic scam.

Nevertheless, I think it can be done. Potassium (Safer brand) soap solution
will do the job. If you are a true organic nut, you can do it yourself. I
have not tried it.


You know, Bill, your attitude doesn't encourage those of us
who are organic gardeners to have a conversation with you.

You don't need to subscribe to something yourself to be
respectful of other's beliefs.

I am totally uninterested in defending just why I am an
organic gardener, I have good and sufficient reason to
prefer to be one. But I'm not about to debate it with you
(or anyone else) on a newsgroup. No way.

So maybe you'd like try to be a little less trollish?

I do not have problems with other people trying to be organic per se. It is
just that I have no understanding of just what organic means in such a
context. My scientific background values internal consistency in a set of
rules or values. I am not getting it. It seems to me that growing organic
food is a religion. your reply tends to confirm that. You are free to
practice your religion. I am free not to.

Nevertheless, I really do wish to understand just what *organic* means to
its practitioners. I don't like to use pesticides unnecessarily either. On
the other hand, If something makes no sense scientifically, I will point
that out. For example, is Safer soap organic? On what basis. If Safer soap
is organic, why not sodium soap even if it is not the greatest substance to
put on soil?

One principle exposed by Cole, author of the book IIRC "Professional
Suicide," subtitled "and how your company helps you commit it is: "Don't ask
you boss what you are supposed to do. It only points out to him/her that the
boss is insecure when you ask because the boss is unlikely to the his job
description as well. I am asking. What makes an organic gardener organic?

Bill

On Mon, 09 Jun 2003 03:43:05 GMT, Repeating Decimal
wrote:


I do not have problems with other people trying to be organic per se. It is
just that I have no understanding of just what organic means in such a
context. My scientific background values internal consistency in a set of
rules or values. I am not getting it. It seems to me that growing organic
food is a religion. your reply tends to confirm that. You are free to
practice your religion. I am free not to.

But it's not a religion, as far as I'm concerned. I don't
think I phrased my post very well, sorry.

My practices (being an 'organic' gardener) are based on a
lot of reading and thought going back to when I started
gardening, about 30 years ago. They're also based on a lot
of non-gardening events that have happened over the past 30
years. They're also based on my desire not to increase the
earth's burden of pesticides (never mind whether consuming
the pesticides will actually hurt me or not).

I'm 59: chances are I'll die anyway before consuming more
pesticides will harm me. But I don't like to leave a more
polluted environment behind me than I have to.

My practice of organic gardening is also based on my
political philosophy and my desire to help my area attain
local self-sufficiency and to see the USA be more secure in
the area of food. I guess you could say that I'm trying to
practice 'sustainable gardening' as much as I can: with as
few inputs from elsewhere as I can manage. This is really a
political thing, as far as I'm concerned. I like to be as
'low-tech' as I can and avoid contributing to giant
multi-national corporations as much as I possibly can.

I would rather, for instance, use nylon net to prevent
cabbage worm damage than use rotenone. The nylon net will
likely last me many years: there's less burden on the earth
for manufacturing it once than (presumably) there is for
manufacturing consumables. (I realize this is a very
trivial example.)

The reason I don't care to debate this with you - or with
anyone else, for that matter - on Usenet is that I don't
have the time or the interest.

I KNOW what my views on the subject are, and I know what
they are based on and I don't, frankly, give a damn what
your views on the subject are. If you had spent the last 30
years reading what I've read and had my life experiences,
chances are you might hold the same views. Well, you don't.
OK.

I will try to be respectful of your views - which are based
on your reading and life experiences, presumably - and I'd
expect the same from you. Calling my views those of a
'scam' or 'nut' isn't respectful.


Nevertheless, I really do wish to understand just what *organic* means to
its practitioners. I don't like to use pesticides unnecessarily either. On
the other hand, If something makes no sense scientifically, I will point
that out. For example, is Safer soap organic? On what basis. If Safer soap
is organic, why not sodium soap even if it is not the greatest substance to
put on soil?

I don't know what either Safer soap or sodium soap are -
never heard of either one. Therefore, I couldn't tell you
wish I'd use. I have no particular aversion to 'chemicals'
as such, I know much more about the subject than would allow
that silliness.

My own approach tends towards barriers: protecting the
plants via floating row cover or nylon net or planting at
times of the year when the insect pests aren't there.

One principle exposed by Cole, author of the book IIRC "Professional
Suicide," subtitled "and how your company helps you commit it is: "Don't ask
you boss what you are supposed to do. It only points out to him/her that the
boss is insecure when you ask because the boss is unlikely to the his job
description as well. I am asking. What makes an organic gardener organic?


I hope I've gotten across to you the idea that I can't recap
30 years of reading and thinking here in a Usenet newsgroup
- haven't the time.

If someone wanted to *pay* me to do so, I'd be very glad to
prepare a detailed report, with references. I'm well able
to do so, I worked in science all my life, and my husband
has a PhD in Chemistry and would be glad to help me when/if
his knowledge would be helpful. Hell, pay me enough, and
I'd write you a book!

But for me to commit serious amounts of time, I need to
either (a) make money or (b) save money by doing so. (Both
my husband and I have health problems and are unable to work
full-time so money is - unfortunately - a big factor in our
lives at the moment.)

In a nutshell, speaking for my own personal self and I make
no pretense to speak for anyone else, I think you could say
that I desire to avoid pesticides (weed killers, fungicides
too) by practicing good husbandry, and I desire to use
sustainable fertilizer (compost made in our yard, mulches
from our grass), and *local* inputs as far as possible.

For example, I prefer - when I must buy something - to buy
the spent-mushroom soil (from the same state in which I
live) rather than buying some fertilizer manufactured in a
factory halfway across the country or halfway across the
world.

I will, however, use commercial (non-organic) plant food on
plants in the house rather than using (smelly) fish emulsion
in the house.

In closing, I'll repeat (for emphasis) a paragraph from
above - this is the key to 'organic gardening' for me
PERSONALLY, the major reason why I try to do it:

My practice of organic gardening is also based on my
political philosophy and my desire to help my area attain
local self-sufficiency and to see the USA be more secure in
the area of food. I guess you could say that I'm trying to
practice 'sustainable gardening' as much as I can: with as
few inputs from elsewhere as I can manage. This is really a
political thing, as far as I'm concerned. I like to be as
'low-tech' as I can and avoid contributing to giant
multi-national corporations as much as I possibly can.

Pat