Hi everyone!
My tomato and hibiscus plants are under attack by clouds of whiteflies! They’re sucking the life out of the leaves, leaving them sticky and yellow. I’ve tried soapy water and yellow sticky traps, but they keep coming back. Need effective solutions fast!
Mix 1 tsp Castile soap + 1 tsp neem oil + 1 quart water. Spray under leaves at dusk—neem disrupts their hormones. Repeat every 4 days for 2 weeks. Works like magic!
Ladybugs devour whiteflies! Order larvae online and release them at night. Keep plants misted, they stick around longer. Also, hang more yellow sticky traps near new growth!
Vacuum them! Use a handheld vac to suck adults off leaves daily. Empty the vacuum into soapy water. Sounds crazy, but it’s oddly satisfying and chemical-free!
Plant French marigolds nearby, they repel whiteflies with their scent. Also, spray garlic tea (steep crushed garlic in hot water, strain, cool). Stinky but effective!
Wipe leaves with rubbing alcohol-soaked cotton balls! Kills eggs on contact. Follow up with a cinnamon sprinkle, antifungal and deters new flies!
Prune the worst leaves and burn them. Don’t compost, eggs survive. Introduce green lacewing larvae, they’re whitefly assassins. Amazon sells them cheap!
@OrganicGardener Should I rinse neem off after spraying? My hibiscus leaves got spotty last time.
No need to rinse! Spotting might mean too much neem. Dilute to 1/2 tsp per quart and test on one leaf first. Morning sprays can cause sunburn—stick to evenings!
Soap + neem mix + sticky traps reduced them by 80%! Ordered lacewings—will report back. Thanks, everyone!
Prevent with reflective mulch! Aluminum foil or silver plastic around plants confuses whiteflies. They hate the light flashes and move elsewhere!