One Way To Kill The Evil Tomato Russet Mites

The path to Markene's veggie garden.
I love making up my own home remedies. It makes me feel smart, even if they don’t work. There is just something seemingly scientific about pouring one liquid into a bottle and then pouring another on top and mixing it with something else, oooh it’s so, so, Frankenstein-y.

Well, my friend Markene commented on my last post that she had a home remedy for the dreaded Tomato Russet Mites.

She told me that her solution is actually a squash bug treatment and that she usually uses it to treat her squash plants. In my post, I neglected to add that the Tomato Russet Mites have devastated my squash plants as well.

I only have two squashes in my entire garden—and their days are probably numbered.
 
This is Markene’s recipe for squash and tomato mite death:
 
She says to soak garlic in mineral oil overnight, then add Seventh Generation laundry soap, and water. She sprays early morning or late afternoon, to avoid angering the bees.

She mixes up a new batch and douses the squash blossoms and tomato leaves a couple of times each week.

When the garlic solution clogs up her drugstore spray-bottle nozzle, she removes the sprayer nozzle and pours the garlic/mineral oil/soap and water mixture directly on leaves and buds that look salvageable.

She continually prunes away any dead, brown leaves and buds. Not wanting to breed new generations of evil bugs she disposes of infested foliage into the garbage, not the compost pile or yard waste bin.

If the plant is entirely brown, she removes the whole thing, including any brown leaves it may have dropped, so it doesn't infect neighboring plants.

Markene's fabulous veggie garden.
It’s a lot of work. But anything to kill the evil, dreaded Tomato Russet Mites.

Comments

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This organic spray helps control mites, aphids, leaf spot and mildew, too!. It combines three things bugs and fungi don’t like: garlic, mineral oil, and soap.

Garlic Oil Insect Spray:
Soak 4 T minced garlic in 2 T mineral oil overnight. Strain out the garlic, add 2 cups of water and 1 t liquid organic dish soap. Mix well. Pour the liquid into a spray bottle and spray plants.

[chigiy]

Thank you for your bug-killing spray recipe and all your help. You're the best.

[Jacqueline]

Thank you Chigiy and Markene for the recipe. I will try it on my unhappy squash.

[chigiy]

You are welcome Jacqueline,
I just found what looks like mites in my beautiful azalea garden. I am bummed. Time to start hacking back and spraying:(