I've Got Whiteflies On My Peas

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Bob Bauer
August 27, 2019 (Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 1 minutes

August 27, 2019

I've got whiteflies on my peas. I didn't know they liked peas. I get whiteflies on zucchini plants late in the fall, but there are none on them now. They are on all of my cauliflower transplants even though I shake them off when I move them. I need more frogs..

The transplants are not happy with the heat, and wilt whenever I try to expose them to direct sunlight. I wonder if the whiteflies are weakening them? I have 26 plants from my direct seeding of an 8' row, and I'm about to start transplanting out the broccoli. I should have been doing this August 15th but got a late start. If our first frosts are mild I'll be ok..

August 28, 2019

It's time to plant fall spinach. You can direct seed 4-6 weeks before your first frost. The plants will grow rapidly in the heat and avoid bolting in the coming cooler temperatures. Light frosts won't kill them so you could be harvesting until November. When they come out, garlic can go in. Onion sets can be planted also at that time so your garden won't be so barren..

The Swiss chard will need cutting back, unless you want a field of chard plants next spring. You can also get in a last planting of lettuce now.They will need to be started under a board because the soil is too warm for them to germinate in. Beets and carrots planted now can overwinter, like kale..

August 29, 2019

For those of you wondering how much soap should be mixed with water to control whiteflies, the answer is 2-5 tablespoons per gallon. This is a wide margin of toxidity so I've assumed the strongest mixture should be used on hearty, well developed plants like five month old zucchini or Brussels sprouts, and the mildest on tender young one month old pea plants. Facts and assumptions go hand in hand with gardening, and the more you know, the better your chances for success..

The "play" part of gardening for me is the tweeking of things to see what will happen. Mini experiments lead to discoveries that are more rewarding to me than learning them from doing research, but the internet is a fun place to visit..

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