Aphids Have Shut Me Down

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

I made the choice at the end of fall to bring a jalapeno plant in from my deck to let it keep producing while my other guys got up to speed. I literally remember looking at the plant on my deck & thinking "I probably shouldn't bring this inside, just in case", but I did it anyways. It took a few months, but eventually the environment became perfect enough for aphids, and the one or 20 that were on that plant spread to my spinach, which I tossed a while back, and my other newer jalapenos.

I tried a few natural sprays & even did two rounds of insecticidal baths (castile soap mixed in a 5gal bucket) where I literally turned the plants upside down in the mixture for 10+ minutes, but the aphids were more determined to live than the process was willing to kill them and after close to two months of near zero output & constant fighting I made the decision to cut my three jalapeno plants down. I also made the hard decision just tonight of cutting down my beloved Vietnamese Black Dragon, which showed a resistance to their hunger, but had signs of aphid munching.

Luckily I saw this coming and started 5 more jalapenos, scotch bonnets, spinach & basil a little over two weeks ago and they're ready to go in dirt, I just need to clean my tent tomorrow.

Main lesson learned: don't be an idiot and bring plants in from the deck.

Secondary lesson learned: I may just want to switch my basement fun to aeroponics.

overall lesson: listen to your damn intuition

 

[digitS']

Look, unless you've got some crazy neighbor who has finagled a way into your home work environment, how are you going to learn?!

If someone else was doing what you want to do right there in front of you - you could benefit from their successes and failures, Sprig'. If it's you, probably things will work out, better than half the time. You'd better hope your trail of bread crumbs wasn't eaten by the birds so you can find your way back on another successful run. But, failing can be informative ... Lose yourself in the process again.

Ego? Pshaw! Get behind that rock and try a different route. If you find yourself on the way up Mount Rainier instead of Mount Adams pretend it was your intent from the get-go. The view will be breathtaking!

It's all going to be great. At the least, until we know for sure, there's Hope.

Steve

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

In hindsight I see my title as a bit too negative. I should have said "knocked me down".

Yeah, each day with this stuff is a day of education. Today I'm cleaning my pots & tent and getting more seedlings in dirt.

At some point I'll need to do my weekly bike cleaning to prep it for the week's work commute, but that's another story.

Also, because I'm an adult and can make my own choices I think I'm going to have an ice cream sandwich with my coffee

 

[baymule]

You win some, you lose some. Sometimes it's total wipeout, but when you win big, you get covered up with more produce than you could ever imagine. As gardeners, we live on the edge of wild success or dismal failure. We should all go buy a lottery ticket.

 

[Smart Red]

I have dug pepper plants from the garden and brought them inside for the winter. When I spotted a few aphids, I imported some Japanese Beetles to the room. Within a few days the JBs were fat and happy and my plants were aphid free. Another choice would be to cover the plant in plastic after a dip in insecticidal soap and give the plant a few days for the insecticide to work when you first bring it in and before putting with your other pepper plants.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

I had two scotch bonnets that were near my peppers I cut. I hoped they were distant enough that they didn't get infested, but I noticed the tell-tale shiny leaf & growth pattern and then saw this guy

 

[ducks4you]

I was just watching MidAmerican Gardener and they were talking about praying mantis, and their egg pods. They said that they eat aphids.
Also, this:
http://www.matrixbookstore.biz/mantis.htm
Could they help?

 

[digitS']

Great picture Sprig'!

There are those developing wings ..

. soon to carry her wherever her tiny green heart desires.

Steve

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

I was just watching MidAmerican Gardener and they were talking about praying mantis, and their egg pods. They said that they eat aphids.
Also, this:
http://www.matrixbookstore.biz/mantis.htm
Could they help?

Not bothering with predators as Mrs Sprig would KILL me if the predators got out of the tent.

Great picture Sprig'!

There are those developing wings ..

. soon to carry her wherever her tiny green heart desires.

Steve

Yeah, well too bad for her because she got put out into my garage immediately after I took the picture. It was well below freezing last night. She can fly on into the next world as I'll be dumping the dirt later today and cleansing the pots with peroxide and vinegar after that.

 

[catjac1975]

I bring house plants in for the winter. I use a systemic insecticide on them. I would never use it on an edible plant. I have learned the same lesson as you have. I never had aphids go too crazy in my greenhouse but, I will never grow tomatoes over winter again. I had white fly from them so badly that they went after all my young seedlings. I do over winter pineapples. They do not seem to attract any insects. My main problem now is fungus gnats. I am able to control them but can never quite get keep them from getting in my greenhouse. I empty and sterilize every spring but still manage to get a few. And a few can turn into many if I am not diligent.