At some point you will come across pests on plants, whether they be tomatoes or other vegetables, but we'll concentrate on tomatoes for now.
You will get visits from all sorts of insect pests on your plants at some point throughout the season, with Whitefly, Fungus Gnats, Aphids and Caterpillars being the most common. So what are you going to use if you see any of these pests on your plants. I'll give a brief rundown on a few things to try - after you identify what it is you want to eradicate.
1. Whitefly
You can give them a spray of water if you can get the nozzle on your hose to spray a fine jet. Most often you'll need to be a bit more brutal and use an oil/soap mix. (Recipe below)
2. Fungus Gnats
Fungus Gnats are a tiny black fly and will often be seen emerging from the soil around the base of the plant. First thing is to mulch around the plant to help move them on. Using the oil/soap mix will work too.
3 Aphids
Don't wait too long to act as they will increase their numbers dramatically if left unchecked. Use the oil/soap mix, making sure they get a good covering as the oil will block their pores and ability to breathe and this will help reduce their numbers early on.
There are Natural Pest Control Sprays from Bunning's like Beat a Bug, made out of Chillies and Garlic, but a word of caution is not to spray it on the actual fruits on a tomato as I've found the flavour can be absorbed into the fruit.
This one is popular and is safe to use around all your plants, it's the Oil/Soap Mix I mentioned above.
Oil/Soap Spray Insecticide
A homemade insecticide made from vegetable oil mixed with a mild soap (such as Dishliquid) can have a devastating effect on certain troublesome insects, such as aphids, mites, thrips, etc. To make a basic oil spray insecticide, mix 1 cup of vegetable oil with 1 tablespoon of soap (cover and shake thoroughly), and then when ready to apply, add 2 teaspoons of the oil spray mix with 2 litres of water, shake thoroughly, and spray directly on the surfaces of the plants which are being affected by the little pests. The oil coats the bodies of the insects, effectively suffocating them, as it blocks the pores through which they breathe.
4. Caterpillars
You are almost guaranteed to get Caterpillars on your tomato plants at some point, usually if you do get them, you'll need to spray regularly until gone. For caterpillars, you need to buy Dipel from your garden supply outlet/Bunning's, do it now and be ready.
Dipel is a bacteria which when sprayed onto the foliage of your tomato plant and ingested by the caterpillar, will stop the caterpillar from eating and it will die in a day or so. It's not a quick kill method, but it is the best and safest one going.
You will get visits from all sorts of insect pests on your plants at some point throughout the season, with Whitefly, Fungus Gnats, Aphids and Caterpillars being the most common. So what are you going to use if you see any of these pests on your plants. I'll give a brief rundown on a few things to try - after you identify what it is you want to eradicate.
1. Whitefly
You can give them a spray of water if you can get the nozzle on your hose to spray a fine jet. Most often you'll need to be a bit more brutal and use an oil/soap mix. (Recipe below)
2. Fungus Gnats
Fungus Gnats are a tiny black fly and will often be seen emerging from the soil around the base of the plant. First thing is to mulch around the plant to help move them on. Using the oil/soap mix will work too.
3 Aphids
Don't wait too long to act as they will increase their numbers dramatically if left unchecked. Use the oil/soap mix, making sure they get a good covering as the oil will block their pores and ability to breathe and this will help reduce their numbers early on.
There are Natural Pest Control Sprays from Bunning's like Beat a Bug, made out of Chillies and Garlic, but a word of caution is not to spray it on the actual fruits on a tomato as I've found the flavour can be absorbed into the fruit.
This one is popular and is safe to use around all your plants, it's the Oil/Soap Mix I mentioned above.
Oil/Soap Spray Insecticide
A homemade insecticide made from vegetable oil mixed with a mild soap (such as Dishliquid) can have a devastating effect on certain troublesome insects, such as aphids, mites, thrips, etc. To make a basic oil spray insecticide, mix 1 cup of vegetable oil with 1 tablespoon of soap (cover and shake thoroughly), and then when ready to apply, add 2 teaspoons of the oil spray mix with 2 litres of water, shake thoroughly, and spray directly on the surfaces of the plants which are being affected by the little pests. The oil coats the bodies of the insects, effectively suffocating them, as it blocks the pores through which they breathe.
4. Caterpillars
You are almost guaranteed to get Caterpillars on your tomato plants at some point, usually if you do get them, you'll need to spray regularly until gone. For caterpillars, you need to buy Dipel from your garden supply outlet/Bunning's, do it now and be ready.
Dipel is a bacteria which when sprayed onto the foliage of your tomato plant and ingested by the caterpillar, will stop the caterpillar from eating and it will die in a day or so. It's not a quick kill method, but it is the best and safest one going.
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Always try and get a positive identification on the pests you encounter on your tomato plants as it makes it a lot easier to treat and remove them.
