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Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Got Whiteflies?
Natural Organic White Fly Control
Here in Malibu, we are graced with a mellow weather with not so harsh winters. While this is good for us, not so good for individual plants that need a cold winter to kill off specific pests. One of these is the whitefly. If you happen to have a hibiscus, then you know what I am talking about. Last winter not cold long enough to kill off any overwintering white flies so this winter may not get cold long enough either. The Winters around here are not getting colder (while other parts of the country are).
While this winter looks to be a cold one, I would still do the following to ensure that you do not have them (the whiteflies) coming back in the spring.
Here is what you should be doing to control them now:
First off a proper pruning will remove many whiteflies. It will also be good for the plant as it will start to grow and produce more plant in the spring. You want a strong, healthy plant and not a weak tall plant. First off, prune all dead branches, then prune any branches that are weak and skinny then prune off any branches that are too close together. If you prune now, by the beginning of spring the plant will have a whole new bunch of growth and come April it will look even better then before.
You should start feeding your plants with a slow release organic fertilizer that is complete with all the micros as well as has microbe. The macros come from rock dust or well made biodynamic compost. The biodynamic system gets its minerals from plants and has developed a natural way of releasing them into the soil. Malibu now has two excellent sources of compost- one made using rock dust, and an assortment of animal manures and plants and the other is made using biodynamic methods. I will go over this method here in my column if you folks want. Just ask me. You can also email me for these folks contact info. Many organic fertilizers now come with a complete list of microbe that is needed by the plant for healthy growth as well as a wide range of trace minerals. Do not use any chemical fertilizer since the high nitrogen content will only stress out the plant even more as the high nitrogen will cause rapid green growth and will inhibit the plant’s ability to absorb minerals.
If you have been following my blog on Brix and Minerals, I am always saying that the higher the Brix, the higher the minerals also. It is all about minerals and plants with low minerals will also have low complex carbohydrates and high simple carbohydrates. Whitefly’s love simple carbohydrates (as do most insects) but hate complex carbohydrates. Most insects cannot digest the complex carbohydrates, and it is a natural protection build into the system.
When was the last time you tested your (fill in the blank) for the Brix level? One reason why earthworm castings work well on not only hibiscus but on any plant that you use it on, is because earthworm castings not only are the right ph (very acid probably around 5.5 ph, which is good here in southern ca clay soil (ph of 7.4) but also rich in almost all of the trace minerals. I use rock dust to supply the minerals. I also use Sea 90 and a few other trace mineral sources. I will be covering trace minerals in my next column.
I would add an excellent live compost (compost sold in plastic bags are not alive, you need living microbes for the compost and soil to function correctly (I always say “The Good Guys and the Bad Guys do not live in the same space”). It is the function of the microbes normally found in the soil to digest the minerals and make it available to the plant’s root system, and without the microbes, the plants will be mineral deficient and therefore will have low Brix readings and low carbohydrates. Chemical fertilizers do not supply these minerals instead what they do is to kill off the natural “Good Guys” found in the soil. The chemical fertilizers only will make your whitefly problem worse. You should get into the habit of foliar applications as this is the best way to ensure high Brix levels. You can use compost tea, rock dust tea, liquid seaweed, milk (yes milk is high in calcium) or any other type of organic foliar applications available or hire an organic nutritional spraying company to do this for you. There are several around so google “natural Spraying services-m “your area goes here”” to find them in your area.
So, for now, you should help your plants by starting to get the soil healthy which in turn will go long ways in keeping your plant whitely/pest free. This will take a while, usually one full year to get the soil working again. In the meantime, there are many natural sprays you can make that will control the whitefly and others pests. You should immediately spray with horticultural oil that will kill any over wintering eggs. Then in the spring, your best spraying formula to use is compost tea. This will not only control the pests but also increase minerals available to the plants. By spraying the microbes onto the leaves and onto the pests, the microbes will kill any whitefly and other pests as well as diseases. You can also spray your plants with caffeine (try cold brewed coffee at one small 8 oz bottle concentrate per gallon filtered water). Another reason you have whitefly is that you are overwatering. Whitefly’s need water and too much water makes the soil waterlogged and kills off beneficial microbes as well. It is better to under water than over water. Install a drip system to control the water better. I have a new live show every Saturday mornings. You can call me, and we can talk about your questions.
Any questions? Email me andylopez@invisiblegardener.com or call me on my show.
Andy Lopez
Invisible Gardener