Whiteflies on living herbs from the grocery

last year

I have some plants I brought inside for the winter, brought them in months ago, left them out in the garage first in very cold weather to kill off any adult bugs and was careful to repot them into fresh potting mix, and have not seen one single pest on any of them. Not ONE and it's been a months already. Until yesterday, that is. I saw whitefly nymphs all over my potted salvia, the only thing I can think of that was different is I bought a small pot of live basil from the grocery and I set it in the window next to the plants. Did this ever happen to anyone before? I've never seen whiteflies on potted herbs at the grocery, so I never even thought to check before I decided to buy it. Guess I'll have to do that from now on.

I think (hope) vacuuming the nymphs off the salvia will take care of the problem -- if I don't eradicate them ASAP before they get into their flying/reproducing stage it's going to be a battle I'm not going to win, and these plants are mother plants for cuttings.

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Comments (9)

plllog
last year
We saved my mother's pomegranate tree many years ago with the advice the agent gave then for whitefly. I don't know if there's newer, better advice, but he said to wash the leaves, especially the undersides, with Simple Green.
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
last year
I have Simple Green! I can try that. I got out the vacuum but that didn't work, the leaves were too sticky from the honeydew excrement. I trimmed it way back and set it in the garage -- it's pretty cold out there, but salvia can take a fair amount of cold and maybe that will kill off the nymphs after a couple days. I can spray with Simple Green and leave it out in the cold just to give it my best shot. If not what can I do, better to sacrifice the plant then have my whole lot of seedlings infested (that happened one year -- not good...)
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Judi
last year
I buy Thai basil from an Asian market during the months I can't grow it. I keep it in water filled vases on the kitchen counter. Inevitably, some of it starts to put out roots before I can use all of it. Last spring I potted the stems with roots. They grew great for about a month and then I found an infestation of white fly. It was so bad I had to toss the plants.
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
last year
I was at work one day 5-6 years ago looking at photos of my massive seed starts soo proud, lol.. Zoomed in and saw massive white fly infestation. A long day until i could get home and deal. I researched and used every method to combat the issue.

I found the indoor cannibus/pot growers the best advice.

Fast forward this past fall. Massive kitchen fruit fly, or another similar knat infestation. Has never happened in many years past. Took about two months and all through the holidays to break the breed cycle. I used all methods i found researching...nothing worked until i found a 'bro' coke in the back of the garage fridge from a years ago visit i purchased for a family visit. (teen nephews). A 1/4 inch in a half dozen drinking glasses in the sink with coke rubbed on the rims. Many dove in but the others i caught resting on the rim, on top of each other, ick,... had a soap spray handy and nailed them.

That said, i don't give up easily.

When i bring in my meyer lemon and rosemary, etc early fall...and herbs that look like they may make it through the winter, i hose spray, soak and flush outside, then a dilute peroxide spray on the surfaces.

Dumb-dumb purchases are the 'just before the holidays' mixed herb pots from TraderJoe's.
linda campbell
last year
Soap and water spray and rinse....and repeat. That will get rid of them but you will likely have to repeat about 4 times.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last year
imo.. throw it out the back door... why is this salvia so important???

some might suggest your sanity is more important than said plant..

in the mean time.. isolate it very far from everything else ...

of course.. give it the old college try.. but do let me know when you are at your wits end.. and whip it out the back door into a snow pile.. lol

ken
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
last year
"...and whip it out the back door into a snow pile.. lol >

Snow? What snow?!?

This salvia is so important because she is my mother plant. This cultivar is not easy to find anymore and is $$$, and I use a pretty good number of plants.
Iowa Blooms z 5
last year
How is your salvia doing? I brought in several plants to overwinter inside and I am battling with whiteflies. I have cut back some of the plants pretty significantly, am using sticky traps and monitoring underside of leaves for eggs. I feel like I am slowly getting it under control.
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
last year
I had to sacrifice it for the greater good. I put in out in the garage then moved it to the barn, below freezing temps. Although, surprisingly, "Mystic Spires" has over-wintered for me before in pots left in the garage, so you never know it may be sprout from the roots when warmer weather settles in. It got cold but not that cold, so it may be fine.

Whiteflies on living herbs from the grocery

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plllog

mxk3 z5b_MI
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Whiteflies on living herbs from the grocery

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plllog

mxk3 z5b_MIOriginal Author

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Judi

sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)

linda campbell

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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