Ruud Kleinpaste: The nasties of Autumn
Saturday Morning with Jack Tame · Newstalk ZB
March 19, 20213m 38s
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Show Notes
The biggies of Autumn
Equinox is tonight at 10.37 pm. Autumn officially here and two little rotters are the “biggies” in your garden! 1) Tomato (and potato) Psyllid
These have been working quietly away in your tomato patch. Many generations have gone before them, but what you see now is the culmination of their damaging activities. Yellowing leaves, covered with fine, white crystals that actually taste quite sweet. Many tiny hopping, aphid-like sap-sucking bugs everywhere (actually they look more like tiny versions of cicadas). Your plants will be looking poorly and tomato yield will seriously decline
I used to rarely get them, simply because I am fanatical about pulling up nightshade weeds. I reckon the psyllids overwinter on these weeds, so removing them meticulously helps a lot to keep your patch clean.Sprays with insecticides need to commence well before you see the first psyllids, it keeps their populations down too.
I don’t grow potatoes, but if you do: only use the early varieties. Pre-Christmas!
Now is really too late for control. Regular neem sprays will keep them down, aim for the newer leaves/growth on the tomato plants, especially in late spring and summer. 2) Two-spotted spider mites
In a warm, dry summer, these acarids (related to arachnids) are present in massive numbers on their favourite host plants: beans, buxus, frangipani leaves – they’re everywhere!. They come in groups of lots of tiny mites, often in plenty of mite silk (gossamer).
They hate wet, cold feet. A spray with cold water in the evening is not appreciated! Better still, add some fatty acids like Yates Mite Spray or Mavrik. You’ll need to do that quite a few times.
Biocontrol: fast-moving red predators can control spider mites! Buy them at Bioforce (on-line). LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE
Equinox is tonight at 10.37 pm. Autumn officially here and two little rotters are the “biggies” in your garden! 1) Tomato (and potato) Psyllid
These have been working quietly away in your tomato patch. Many generations have gone before them, but what you see now is the culmination of their damaging activities. Yellowing leaves, covered with fine, white crystals that actually taste quite sweet. Many tiny hopping, aphid-like sap-sucking bugs everywhere (actually they look more like tiny versions of cicadas). Your plants will be looking poorly and tomato yield will seriously decline
I used to rarely get them, simply because I am fanatical about pulling up nightshade weeds. I reckon the psyllids overwinter on these weeds, so removing them meticulously helps a lot to keep your patch clean.Sprays with insecticides need to commence well before you see the first psyllids, it keeps their populations down too.
I don’t grow potatoes, but if you do: only use the early varieties. Pre-Christmas!
Now is really too late for control. Regular neem sprays will keep them down, aim for the newer leaves/growth on the tomato plants, especially in late spring and summer. 2) Two-spotted spider mites
In a warm, dry summer, these acarids (related to arachnids) are present in massive numbers on their favourite host plants: beans, buxus, frangipani leaves – they’re everywhere!. They come in groups of lots of tiny mites, often in plenty of mite silk (gossamer).
They hate wet, cold feet. A spray with cold water in the evening is not appreciated! Better still, add some fatty acids like Yates Mite Spray or Mavrik. You’ll need to do that quite a few times.
Biocontrol: fast-moving red predators can control spider mites! Buy them at Bioforce (on-line). LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE
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