Insecticides for nightshade vegetables

[CrazyConure]

Hello, I’m from Miami, FL. Zone 11a

I’m starting a small vegetable garden again. It’s been a few years since I had one.

I’m going to grow eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers. I think nightshade plants are my favorite.

What are some pesticides and disease sprays I can stock up on?

Aphids and whiteflies were a problem. I also had a case of tomato hornworms.

Thank you.

 

[redback]

Derris dust is considered organic, and a lot of people are using Neem oil.

 

[cpp gardener]

Bt for caterpillars and spinosad for most other pests. Diseases will require something ‘non-organic’ to be effective.

 

[oneeye]

No you don't need that stuff if you work your plot well and add good compost before planting. Insects infestations occur because of sick diseased plants growing in soil that lacking good health. If you build the soil and maintain quality water management you should not have many problems.

 

[redback]

Diseases will require something ‘non-organic’ to be effective.

I'll take that as a joke.

 

[cpp gardener]

“Dreamer, you know you are a dreamer”

 

[redback]

Aphids and whiteflies were a problem. I also had a case of tomato hornworms.

You need ladybirds - try talking to the local dept. of entomology.

 

[cpp gardener]

You can also use sabadilla or pyrethrin as organic insecticides.

 

[redback]

“Dreamer, you know you are a dreamer”

Yeah - so are you. What's wrong with dreaming?
Unfortunately, we excel at criticism.

 

[Meadowlark]

Diseases will require something ‘non-organic’ to be effective.

This from the same person who said "...I don’t bother with veggies, that’s what the grocery store is for"

 

[cpp gardener]

Have you heard of the Disease Triangle? It’s very simple. In order to have a disease problem, you need 3 things:
Disease inoculum (spores, hyphae, virus particles)
Susceptible plant
Favorable environmental conditions
If you have all 3 it doesn’t matter how wonderful your soil is and how vigorously your plants are growing, you WILL have a disease problem. Same with insect infestations. If you have a plant and a pest insect and environmental conditions are favorable for the insect, you WILL have an insect problem. Simple science. Whether you grow your own veggies or not.

 

[Meadowlark]

Have you heard of the Disease Triangle?

Who is the "you" in your question?

Susceptible plant and environmental conditions were very well addressed by @oneeye and is worth reading again...

No you don't need that stuff if you work your plot well and add good compost before planting. Insects infestations occur because of sick diseased plants growing in soil that lacking good health. If you build the soil and maintain quality water management you should not have many problems.

I do grow my own veggies and for at least 30 years have not used the "non-organic" chemicals you claim are required.

 

[redback]

Susceptible plant

Insects infestations occur because of sick diseased plants growing in soil that lacking good health.

The quest for nutrition in the soil (and the human gut) is about getting high levels of nutrition that make the plant and you resilient to attack.

On a different note, I think the debate between organic and chemical cures is never going to be resolved. It's like the 'neat and tidy' versus 'relaxed and laidback' or 'old money' versus 'new money'. I confess that I once gave my Meyer lemon tree iron chelates and it worked - the plant started fruiting. Neither side is fully, perfectly correct.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Disease inoculum (spores, hyphae, virus particles)
Susceptible plant
Favorable environmental conditions
If you have all 3 it doesn’t matter how wonderful your soil is and how vigorously your plants are growing, you WILL have a disease problem.

But if you have wonderful soil and vigorous plants you are less likely (To the point of unlikely) to have susceptible plants, are you not?
Good housekeeping will reduce the numbers of disease inoculum as well, washing greenhouses, getting rid of dead leaves in corners, all that sort of thing.
I am unacquainted with hornworm, but small stuff like aphid and blackfly I tend to attack physically, they are very delicate. I use soap and a soft brush, my old shaving brush. White fly I sometimes get, but not badly enough to be a problem, if they were I think I would try spraying with a solution of washing up liquid first (dish soap in US I believe), and mix with a little cooking oil to make an emulsion before adding the water, to gum up wings.
If you do want to use commercial products I have just received a new seed catalogue, and notice there is a double page spread advertising cheap fertilisers and pesticides, I expect it is the same in the States.
Don't stock up on neem oil, I hear it goes out of date quite rapidly, wait 'til you want it.

 

[cpp gardener]

Sorry, by ‘you’ I meant any or all of you.

Oneeye is wrong. How you take care of your garden has very little to do with disease susceptibility. Sorry Oliver, less likely to have problems is true, unlikely is not.

A ‘susceptible’ plant is a species or variety that is susceptible to a pathogen. Roses are susceptible to powdery mildew irrespective of your gardening techniques. Some are more genetically resistant and some are more genetically susceptible. Soil fertility has nothing to do with it.

It is not about condition or vigor. How well the plant is growing has very little to do with susceptibility. If it is susceptible and environmental conditions are conducive for the pathogen to infect, it will infect regardless.

Environmental conditions refers to humidity, light, and temperature. If they are conducive to infection, there will be disease. If the temperature and humidity are favorable to mildew infection and there are mildew spores around, you will have a mildew problem.

There are organic fungicides and bactericides, mostly sulfur and copper based, but their effectiveness is somewhat limited.

I never said synthetic pesticides or fertilizers were required, only that they are effective, reliable and safe.