Powdery mildew isn't like other plant diseases. It can be prevented from spreading by spraying the foliage down with plain water. PM propagules do not require free water in order to germinate, as other diseases do. Thus, we can simply keep those spores rinsed away. My advice to you is to give your plants a quick shower in the morning and use more pressure every few days to knock off a few aphids. At some point you should invest in some commercial insecticidal soap and some cold pressed neem. But I've not found the products essential to protecting plants from aphids or PM. Helpful, yes. Mastergardener, it is well documented that ants are very attracted to and will protect a population of any insect which will produce large amounts of sugary honeydew. Their defense of those insects (aphids and scale, most notably) is amply rewarded by honeydew produced in even larger amounts as incentive. Control of the aphids is usually all we need to do to discourage ants. Fortunately, the presence of ants in the garden simply means that the environment is a normal one. Some ant species require control....fire ants, for example. They can truly be harmful to plants, people, and pets. But most ant bait products are not labeled for use in the veggie garden so wr need to be careful about what we use and where.

Hi You can use a variety of methods. Spray the plants with a solution of 'Farina' (potato starch). 1 tablespoon to a couple of pints of water and shaken vigorously. Spray this on the undersides of the leaves (where the flies hide) and leave overnight. This MUST be well rinsed off in the morning with clear water. If you don't rinse them the plants will not be able to transpire and you will cause more harm than good. Any sprayer used MUST also be rinsed straight away or the pipes and nozzle get clogged up. As with any spraying carried out, a 'one off' attack will not cure the proble. The whitefly (or wwhatever pest) has different stages of their life cycle happening at the same time and the effects on one stage may not be detrimental to the other stages, When I had any whitefly I sprayed on a four day cycle until they had gone. Hatd work I know, but no more whitefly. I use a chemical which is available here in the UK called "Provado Ultmate Bug Killer", this contains 'Imidacloprid' which may be available to you under a different name? This is systemic and the manufacturers claim that it works for up to 8 weeks. I use it more frequently than that and I haven't seen any aphids, thrips or whitefly this growing season. Sticky traps can also be used but these are less effective in the open garden than when used in a greenhouse situation. I am sure that many on the forum will have other suggestions too. Hope this helps Tight....

I'm a newbie to gardening. I'm growing some veggies for the first time. My Purple Hull Peas appear to have some Black Aphids on them. At least that's what I've been told they are. I really don't know. I bought 1500 Lady Bugs. I released them per the instructions. - Stored them in the refrigerator. - Took them out and warmed them up for about 30 to 40 minutes. - Released half at dusk on the first night. - Released the other half at dusk on the second night. The Lady Bugs just strolled around the Purple Hull plants, walking right over the Aphids, not paying any attention to them. Okay, a few looked like they stopped to eat a little but, not very many at all. In a couple of days, there were hardly any Lady Bugs in the garden. A few days more and the Aphids have spread. They're taking over! I just sprayed some "pre-mixed" Garlic and Pepper Tea on them. I hope that helps. But, if not, I guess I'll try the Neem Oil (from seed, not leaf) or, maybe some soap and water with some oil mixed in.

With the mustard solution, worms come to the surface within 15 minutes. If they don't, wait a while and try it again another day. By worms "disappearing" it means they will die and decompose. In your garden it shouldn't be a problem. But if your dead worm concentration is too high, they will make a slimy mess in the pot. If you can repot, that's what I would do. I think that should take care of most of the problem. You can always get more red worms if you want to start composting. There is a lot of stuff online about worm composting. It's easy but you do have to keep at it or the worms will die. Dryness and high or low pH are the enemy of worms. But I don't know the ideal conditions for growing lemons, you wouldn't want to hurt your tree trying to get rid of the worms. Repotting seems like the easiest thing to do, or try the mustard treatment or an electrical probe, which I had never heard of! Cooperative Extension may be able to recommend a less toxic chemical treatment, one that breaks down easily. Pyrethrum is a good insecticide in that respect, but as I copied above, apparently it doesn't kill worms. Of course that is a GOOD thing if you are using it in your garden!