[compost_tea] Thrips

From: Tatia Veltkamp <tatiav_at_comcast.net>
Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2012 12:44:19 -0700

Hi,

I don’t get to follow everything on these posts and am still very m=
uch a newbie, but am learning a lot on here. I grow milkweed in 1 gallon a=
nd 4” pots to feed Monarch caterpillars. I have trouble (LOTS) wit=
h thrips. They also love the milkweed. I found in the summer there are pl=
enty of predators that take care of the thrips if I move the plants outside=
. But I have to grow almost year round and find the thrips appearing at ab=
out 6-8 weeks on the plants (I grow from seed) in the greenhouse. I canno=
t use chemicals so the plants are safe for the caterpillars, although I=
ve tried some of them too and they don’t work. I’ve d=
one some soaping and that helps (a little), but I’m wondering about=
 using compost tea as a foliar feed if that would help. Since part of the =
thrips’ life cycle is in the soil, I’m also wondering if I =
should be adding worm castings or compost to the top layer of the soil to h=
elp with any microbes that might attack them there.

 

I realize that I am not going to get rid of the thrips. But I’m tr=
ying to learn how to control them, so they don’t take over. Has an=
yone dealt with thrips successfully in a greenhouse?

 

Thanks so much for any insight you might have!

 

Tatia

Albuquerque, NM



Received on Sun Jan 22 2012 - 15:04:10 EST

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