Buy Tobacco Leaf Online | Whole Leaf Tobacco

red aphids on tobacco plants in the garden.

Status
Not open for further replies.

cowboyjames74

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Messages
91
Points
0
Location
Northwest arkansas
Anyone know of any good homemade bug killer for aphids to kill them off?
There all over my big gem plants and virginia plants in the garden.
Will soap and water in a spray bottle work? I used to use this for tomatoes.
Thanks yall !:p
 

Jitterbugdude

Moderator
Founding Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
4,266
Points
113
Location
Northeast Maryland
Soapy water works good, you just need to reapply it every couple of days. A strong stream of water from a garden hose will also do a good job of knocking them off but is more labor intensive.
 

Tom_in_TN

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2012
Messages
456
Points
0
Location
East Tennessee
I sprayed them off with a garden hose, gentle spraying pressure because it makes no sense to blow holes in tender tip leaves, and as JBD says it is LABOR intensive. OK, in a drought situation this is an acceptable method because it also waters your plants, but they will climb right back up the stalk and start sucking the life (flavor) out of the leaves within a couple of days. Now that we've had 7 to 8 inches of rain in the last 2 weeks I'm ready to try the soapy spray method but hoping for a better outcome than 2 days.
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,931
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
It's also good to remember that aphids prefer young, tender leaf. If you top your plants, and keep them clear of suckers, it will reduce the aphid burden.

Bob
 

Tom_in_TN

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2012
Messages
456
Points
0
Location
East Tennessee
Yeah, I love to walk through the gardens and sucker my plants. Of course they have aphids on them and it can get a bit messy at times.
 

Boboro

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2011
Messages
4,530
Points
83
Location
Wren Mississippi
I try to use as few chems. as posableI pick off worms.Aphids I can't stand for.They get chem spray.I use it weak and natrule pestacides.
 

Jack in NB

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
242
Points
28
Location
Fredericton NB Canada
I use soapy water - Ivory liquid, 3-4 tbsp/gal. Repeated after 4 - 5 days to catch the new generation.

Actually spraying them off works too.

An entomologist friend did her PhD on the little suckers, and found that they attach a sucker probe into the leaf - kinda like skeeters do to us. But the probe stays in the leaf if the aphid is knocked off - akin to a honeybee stinger. And the aphid - no longer having a feeding tube - dies, even if it crawls back up the plant.
 

Chicken

redneck grower
Founding Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
4,631
Points
83
Location
FLORIDA
iuse soapy water here also,

with perhaps,, just a dab { thats a southern word<} of some poision, in the mix,
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,931
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
Actually spraying them off works too. An entomologist friend did her PhD on the little suckers, and found that they attach a sucker probe into the leaf... But the probe stays in the leaf if the aphid is knocked off - akin to a honeybee stinger. And the aphid - no longer having a feeding tube - dies, even if it crawls back up the plant.
Great information. My impression has been that when you wash them off, they don't climb back up. But the hose technique often requires spraying for 20 or 30 seconds per leaf (underside) to convince them to rinse away. A stronger, faster-acting spray tends to bruise the leaf's tender under surface. I've gone to using a mild soap spray in the cool of the morning or evening.

Bob
 

Chicken

redneck grower
Founding Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
4,631
Points
83
Location
FLORIDA
i seen aphids, on my plants,

but killed them before, they had time to do damage
 

BigBonner

Moderator
Founding Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
1,671
Points
63
Location
Kentucky
If aphids are left alone , they will suck the life out ofthe top 3rd leaves on tobacco . It will still grow out but it will be nasty with dead aphids , poop and aphid parts. The leaves will be less quality and weigh less than they should.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top