Question
I have an enclosed urban (aka concrete) patio that I’ve spruced up with lots of potted plants - cherry tomatoes, herbs galore, miniature meyer lemon, potato bush, etc. The problem: My garden seems to be infested with white flies. It started on the cherry tomato, but they have spread to the basil, roses, and other plants. I have tried insecticidal soap weekly for months and seem to be losing the battle (nothing like going to get some basil and getting a cloud of white flies all over my hair and body in the process). Help! How can I save my plants from this pest?
Johanna
San Francisco
Answer
Whitefly, as you are finding, are very difficult to get rid of. They are immune to most sprays. You can control the nymphs that are seen as small oval shapes on the undersides of leaves with a Neem oil spray. The oil asphyxiates them and will do some good with repelling the adults. You might consider putting out yellow sticky traps to reduce the populations of the adults as well as incorporate a reflective “mulch” (such as sheets of aluminum foil on the soil surface of the pots). Your tomatoes and basil will likely stop producing by mid-November. Dispose of the plants rather than compost them. A hand held vacuum, such as a dust buster can be used to suck the adults off the leaves when they are sluggish in the morning.
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