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First my cucumbers died and had to be pulled up and now my eggplants are having a similar issue. Pinhead size white dots are apprearing on the leaves. I tried Organicide sort of an oil spray but not in time for the cukes. I want to save the eggplants. Ideas please. I am in S. Florida- bug city.
A sprinkle of Sevin dust will do the trick....don't know of any organic compounds that would work....you could try an insecticidal soap but not sure about effectiveness with these beetles.
First my cucumbers died and had to be pulled up and now my eggplants are having a similar issue. Pinhead size white dots are apprearing on the leaves. I tried Organicide sort of an oil spray but not in time for the cukes. I want to save the eggplants. Ideas please. I am in S. Florida- bug city.
Avoid the chemical pesticide if you can. We use way too much of them. Crush a clove of garlic in a spray bottle, add water and soap to it, let it sit over night and spray the plants with the spray. Garlic is a feeding deterent and just may discourage the bugs. Get to the underside of the leaves too.
Avoid the chemicals if you can is a wise idea and this comes up over and over every year, but often it isn't possible and with all the love and work we put into our gardens, I am the first one to admit I use chemicals if necessary. Sometimes trying an organic solution and seeing it doesn't work will mean losing the plant altogether. By the time it is obvious the organic plan isn't working the plant is gone. Now, last year we had a problem with our tomatoes. We did lose about 8 plants before we even knew what had happened. We were told, here on CD what to do, we bought new plants, did the organic thing and low and behold it worked. Of course the only problem, last summer was so hot, we didn't get a decent crow anyway. This year is starting out much better.
Avoid the chemicals if you can is a wise idea and this comes up over and over every year, but often it isn't possible and with all the love and work we put into our gardens, I am the first one to admit I use chemicals if necessary. Sometimes trying an organic solution and seeing it doesn't work will mean losing the plant altogether. By the time it is obvious the organic plan isn't working the plant is gone. Now, last year we had a problem with our tomatoes. We did lose about 8 plants before we even knew what had happened. We were told, here on CD what to do, we bought new plants, did the organic thing and low and behold it worked. Of course the only problem, last summer was so hot, we didn't get a decent crow anyway. This year is starting out much better.
Bingo!! This is what IPM (integrated pest management) is all about. Start with the low level firepower and if needed, work your way up to the stuff you like to avoid using. I think for every vegetable pest, there is a pesticide you can use, but always ALWAYS make sure your pest is listed on the label and always follow the directions to...the...letter.
First my cucumbers died and had to be pulled up and now my eggplants are having a similar issue. Pinhead size white dots are apprearing on the leaves. I tried Organicide sort of an oil spray but not in time for the cukes. I want to save the eggplants. Ideas please. I am in S. Florida- bug city.
You are indeed in bug central and it is easy to say go organic but harder to do so when so many possible pests are around. You are in an area where a lot of eggplants are grown as crps and may have a built in source of new bugs.
There is no way to know what your problem pest is from your description. Where are these pinhead spots located? Is it the underside of the leaf or the top? Was it the exact same bug/eggs that you saw on the cucumbers or are you worried that you have another problem after having to get rid of the cucumbers? Some pests are very specific to a certain crop and others have multiple "favorite" plants. What damage, if any, have you seen happening to the plant (wilting, holes in leaves, white tunnel like trails, sticky stuff on the leaves)? All of this will help figure out what you have and then what you can do about it. In looking over the possible pests that would appear at this time of the year in FL the one common "fix" I see for attacking this organically would be to use Spinosad. The most commonly available version for home use is in Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew (love that name). It is a bit pricy but it works on quite a few different pests of eggplants in FL.
Much of the following link is aimed at crop management and may seem overwhelming but it does ID the most likely pests for your area: ENY-461/IN169: Insect Management for Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant You can always contact your local extension agent or call the Master Gardeners for your county and ask them. Better yet get it ID's in person. If you can take a leaf (with the white spots on it ) with you, sealed in a small plastic sandwich bag, they may be able to ID the exact bug and tell you what will work to get rid of of it and how to prevent it in the future. That is what the extension office and Master Gardeners are there for, so use them!
I don't think they're flea beetles. My eggplant get these every year, but the plants survive and I still get fruit...granted late in the season because it is so cold up here. One thing I learned from my mom is that vegetables repel pests better if they have proper nourishment. She uses compost tea.
So the vegetables may not be 100% pest free, but they'll recover better from the inevitable attacks by regrowing leaves, producing more fruit etc. Good luck in finding out what the problem is.
In addition to sending in a sample to an extension office, you can try posting a clear picture or two, and perhaps someone will be able to identify the issue for you.
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