YORKTON - Let’s continue our chat about garden pests with today’s topic, whiteflies.
Whiteflies are those tiny, winged creatures that can do a lot of damage. They are sap-sucking insects, cousins to aphids and mealybugs, so this is one more instance where we should look for them on the underside of leaves. They love warm weather, and we had plenty of that this summer, giving them the perfect conditions to have a very happy life. They will attack not only our flowering plants but vegetables, too.
What to look for? If we see plants that have yellowing leaves or have a lot of leaves falling off, we should check the underside of the leaves. The whiteflies, (looking almost like little moths, only about one-tenth of an inch in size) and their eggs will be visible, as well as the ‘honeydew’ they leave behind after they have sucked the juices from our plants’ leaves. The bad outcome of this is that the honeydew attracts ants; the ants are not harmful to our plants, but the ants might discourage other garden inhabitants, like ladybugs and dragonflies, that could help to help deter the whiteflies. The honeydew can also be an area where some types of fungus can grow.
As with many pest problems, gardeners must be vigilant and checking plants before the problem gets out of hand. We should try to keep our plants as healthy as we can, and check them regularly, even before we see significant damage.
The remedy for whiteflies is much the same as for mealybugs. If we see infected leaves on our plants, we can pluck them off and throw them straight into the garbage. Washing the plant with water can also help, as will applications of insecticidal soap.
We once had a lush and lovely hops plant trailing over our fence. For some reason, the whiteflies loved the plant, and any time we would disturb the vines, clouds of whiteflies rose into the air. We tried spraying the plant with water, which seemed to help, but the problem recurred for several years, and finally we had to pull the plant out completely. Once the leaves started to discolor and fall off, there was no beauty left in what remained.
So whiteflies watchfulness is the first order of the day!
Gardeners always have to be on the lookout for many plant issues; this year, gardening friends have commented on ‘catfacing’ on their tomatoes. This is where the tomato mis-shapen or scarred on the bottom. If we are growing varieties that produce big tomatoes, the problem is more common. The very hot temperatures that we had this year could be part of the problem, and another possibility is that the soil has too much nitrogen. Being sure our tomato plants get enough water and perhaps less fertilizer problem might help catfacing. A note for next year!
Thank you to our friends at YTW for their great work each week. Visit the hort society at www.yorktonhort.ca Have a good week!
