Aphids on TPS seedlings

[wmontanez]

I have a tray started with 6 of the OP TPS seeds from Tom Tater's Sampler, Mystery from Medbury Gardens and Potato Dance that I got from Svalli. Well I got the brilliant idea to overwinter some peppers in the same room and now I have aphids. I am actually mad that my seedlings got infected since I started them in early October and some are up to the 2nd set of true leaves. Basically 3 of them are all the seed I had so I need to try to save them. I sprayed them with horticultural oil and removed the affected peppers out. This weekend I tried neem oil+phyrethins. Do I have a chance to win?

[Medbury Gardens]

Hope that works Wendy,horrible little bugs.

I'm having a bad season for them outside in my garden,the ladybird numbers are building up so they should be gone soon,had none on the spuds though

[RinTinTin]

If you have some wood ash, dust the buggers with it. In a few minutes you can just brush/blow the dead critters off.

[Medbury Gardens]

That's worth knowing thanks

[wmontanez]

thanks, will look into that too

[Ken]

I have always had good luck mixing a little Dish soap with water and spraying them.It has worked everytime for me.
Hope it helps
Ken

[wmontanez]

I tried soap+water and did reduced it but within few days I had more aphids, applied a second time and few plants started to wilt and dropleaves badly. I tried neem oil +phyrethins, 2nd day still no more aphids, but the affected plants were moved away from my potato seedlings. I sure hope to save the seedlings, the radishes seedlings and other greens are doing badly now...I crossing fingers for the tps to make it.

[RinTinTin]

I have been using the wood ash technique (substituting BBQ ash when I didn't have a fireplace/wood stove) since I read about it in "Organic Gardening" in the early '70s. I have had near 100% success with it. You may need to reapply in a day or two as the new swarm arrives/hatches. If you are diligent in your treatment, you will get them before they lay their eggs...no sense breeding your own, but new ones will fly in from miles around...they love fresh/tender new growth.

[svalli]

I'm sorry to hear that Wendy. I was also tempted to start some TPS to get tiny tubers for next spring, but I have thrips in my indoor peppers.

This year I did not get aphids indoor with the overwintering peppers, because I pruned everything and sprayed with pyrethrins before bringing indoors. I have had some of the peppers indoors all the time over two years now and those plants have been ravaged by thrips, which the pyrerethrins do not kill totally.

[wmontanez]

Well I have it under control now, got all the infected plants out of that room and spray them. I can afford to have any in that room since it is the seedling starting area. I sprayed everything with neem oil+pyrethins this weekend and daily inspections doesn't show much activity. I have some ornamental plants in the house that will be quarantined in a second separate room because they don't show any problems but it better to be sure. This weekend I will sterilize the room and I am sure a second round of neem+phyretin will take care of it.

I have 3 potato dance seedlings germinating they germinated really fast!