http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid

thanks Cole_Robbie .. aphids they are and in large numbers too :( Under the tomato leaves I am seeing a lot of them .. (None under the cucumber leaves though) Now to figure out what is the most effective and least repetitive way to control those things. So far I have seen hosing the plant (when the aphids get washed out to the soil, do they die or climb back up?), insecticide soap, tomato leaves spray, garlic spray, ladybugs .. What is the consensus approach to controlling aphids?

A good blast from the hose every now and then usually does the trick. Soapy water can work well also. Ladybugs are great,but usually fly away quickly, so not really worth the money...but if there are some around, move them in to your container and they may help a bit.

Thanks Howelbama. So the plants don't break any leaves/branches with the powerful spray? Also, I think I will need to hold the branch so that I am hitting the underside of the leaves with the nozzle. (I will try some branches to see how much pressure I need to use .. This seems to be something I need to do with lot of care). Also do the washed off aphids die in the grow media? or can they climb back on to the plants

Are these carried by nursery plants? Or do their eggs/larvae float in the air to infest new locations? So if I grow everything from seed, would I not have to worry about these guys? (for next year ..)

Thanks ..

Well, don't use so much force that you damage the foliage.. I'm not sure if they will climb back up, I suppose they may, but if you keep disrupting them, they should not get out of control... Starting from seed may help,a bit, but they likely will migrate in one way or another. Encouraging beneficials is the best thing to do for control....daddy long leg spiders love them, so any of those guys you happen across, move them in to your garden and they will likely help you out a bit. In fact, any spiders will be of great help, so you should keep them around when you see them...unless it's a black widow or something, in that case get get rid of it safely lol...

KInd of funny but if you read the suggested Aphid link in Wikipedia all these questions are answered