Mites: Hit em now

I like to go light on the chemicals when I can, but softer measures tend not to work with these buggers. They get onto the back of leaves and start sucking out moisture. Then with a hot day the plants just burn to a crisp.


With mites the argument is to go with tomato dust (sulphur), pest oil, then natrasoap in order of increasing strength. It's all crap.

The other argument is that they thrive on dry conditions so leaf watering is an idea, increasing humidity and making the mites uncomfortable, but increasing all other problems in the meantime. It's crap. Never ever water tomato leaves.

Go the sledgehammer. Specific miticide. Active ingredient Dicofol, but trade name Kocide.

Once a year about now. On tomatoes, stone fruit, marigolds, anything that gets speckled leaves. It just has to be done.

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