Growing Tomatoes
Does anyone know how to keep the bugs and blight at bay when growing
tomatoes without using chemicals such as tomato dust? I have heard that using the 'grey water' from the last cycle of the washing machine works. Has any got any other suggestions? Thanks. |
Katrina said:
Does anyone know how to keep the bugs and blight at bay when growing tomatoes without using chemicals such as tomato dust? I have heard that using the 'grey water' from the last cycle of the washing machine works. Has any got any other suggestions? Thanks. Seaweed (kelp) sprays. I use Maxicrop's dehydrated powder. The foliage stays healthy until late in the season. I don't have problems with aphids and flea beetles are a minor nuisance. A good, clean mulch also goes a long way to cutting down on problems. -- Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast) Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced. (attributed to Don Marti) |
Katrina said:
Does anyone know how to keep the bugs and blight at bay when growing tomatoes without using chemicals such as tomato dust? I have heard that using the 'grey water' from the last cycle of the washing machine works. Has any got any other suggestions? Thanks. Seaweed (kelp) sprays. I use Maxicrop's dehydrated powder. The foliage stays healthy until late in the season. I don't have problems with aphids and flea beetles are a minor nuisance. A good, clean mulch also goes a long way to cutting down on problems. -- Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast) Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced. (attributed to Don Marti) |
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My tomatoes have been consistently problem free for several years. I do
not spray them, but keep them watered, and the soil well fertilized before planting. The thing which may make a difference for me is that I have two raised beds. One for tomatoes, and another for the other vegetables. I alternate these locations every season, so the tomatoes are not re-planted the next season in the same place. It is possible that any tomatoe pests that take up residence do not get a chance to go into high gear for the next season. There are probably other benefits in doing this kind of crop rotation. Sherwin Dubren Katrina wrote: Does anyone know how to keep the bugs and blight at bay when growing tomatoes without using chemicals such as tomato dust? I have heard that using the 'grey water' from the last cycle of the washing machine works. Has any got any other suggestions? Thanks. |
My tomatoes have been consistently problem free for several years. I do
not spray them, but keep them watered, and the soil well fertilized before planting. The thing which may make a difference for me is that I have two raised beds. One for tomatoes, and another for the other vegetables. I alternate these locations every season, so the tomatoes are not re-planted the next season in the same place. It is possible that any tomatoe pests that take up residence do not get a chance to go into high gear for the next season. There are probably other benefits in doing this kind of crop rotation. Sherwin Dubren Katrina wrote: Does anyone know how to keep the bugs and blight at bay when growing tomatoes without using chemicals such as tomato dust? I have heard that using the 'grey water' from the last cycle of the washing machine works. Has any got any other suggestions? Thanks. |
For Tomato Horn Worms, the best defense are Cardinals. The Cardinal's
favorite food is horn worms. Their second favorate is Sun Flower Seeds. In the spring keep your bird feeder stocked with sun flower seeds to attract cardinals, and get them to stay in the area. Watching them hunt in you 'maters is fun tool For Aphids, I use Ladybugs. You can buy them at a good garden shop or by mail order. For other pests, as a last resort, I use a product from "Gardens Alive" called "Pyola". It's a mix of Canola Oil and pyrethrin, an extract from Chrysantemum flowers. Rich |
For Tomato Horn Worms, the best defense are Cardinals. The Cardinal's
favorite food is horn worms. Their second favorate is Sun Flower Seeds. In the spring keep your bird feeder stocked with sun flower seeds to attract cardinals, and get them to stay in the area. Watching them hunt in you 'maters is fun tool For Aphids, I use Ladybugs. You can buy them at a good garden shop or by mail order. For other pests, as a last resort, I use a product from "Gardens Alive" called "Pyola". It's a mix of Canola Oil and pyrethrin, an extract from Chrysantemum flowers. Rich |
In article
fc.003d094101d7c11d3b9aca0098fc20d1.1d7c147@pmug. org, says... My philosophy is if I won't drink the water myself, I don't want it on my food plants. Maybe extreme, but far safer for the plants (and for me) as far as water is concerned. I wouldn't be inclined to eat sheep manure, or to drink water that had been soaked in it. Perhaps I should assume that my food plants have the same attitude. |
In article
fc.003d094101d7c11d3b9aca0098fc20d1.1d7c147@pmug. org, says... My philosophy is if I won't drink the water myself, I don't want it on my food plants. Maybe extreme, but far safer for the plants (and for me) as far as water is concerned. I wouldn't be inclined to eat sheep manure, or to drink water that had been soaked in it. Perhaps I should assume that my food plants have the same attitude. |
Planting marigolds between the tomatoes keeps whitefly away, infusion of nettle is good for greenfly and dried comfrey leaves around the base of the plant help with disease. It's always worth collecting ladybirds and moving them to your tomato plants too. If you can't do the marigolds or nettles, then soft soap in water does a pretty good job against greenfly and other pahids.
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