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Pull aphid-infested Kale?

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Posted by kurbans 5 (My Page) on
Mon, Jul 7, 14 at 12:29

First time I have planted kale. It seemed to be going well until it warmed up a bit, and the kale stopped growing. I thought it was because kale grows better in cold weather, and was just kind of sitting around, waiting for colder weather.

Then the other day I noticed my brussels were infested with aphids, but not too badly. I went to spray them off and thought I would do the same with the kale, and when I did a HUGE amount of them came off (as in, the water was gray running off the leaves)...

So I have got an insecticidal soap to treat the brussels sprouts, and am wondering if it is even worth it to try and save the kale, or if I should just pull them out to prevent further infestation of nearby plants and cut my losses?

My gut is telling me to pull them and start some seedlings to get ready for the fall garden. Any thoughts?

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RE: Pull aphid-infested Kale?

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I'd just keep spraying them with water. They are soft bodied and the spray will kill and/or knock them off.

tj

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RE: Pull aphid-infested Kale?

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I would pull them. Try kale again next year but spray them bi-weekly with neem as a preventable measure from the moment you plant.

Do not believe anyone who says a plant can be used as "bait" for aphids, that they will then leave other plants alone. I did that with snap peas one year, and all it did was create a local breeding ground for aphids. I literally needed a hazmat suit to pull the peas out, there were so many bugs all over. And they did just get on everything else too. It was gross.

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RE: Pull aphid-infested Kale?

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If they're pulled now that's the end of this year's crop. Kale is an Autumn and Winter vegetable (maybe just Autumn in z5). I'd keep blasting with the hose and wait for cooler weather to the kale growing again.

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RE: Pull aphid-infested Kale?

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I would continue blasting with the hose (and you can carefully use some insecticidal soap, applied in the evening according to label directions) if you find that the aphid infestation is not being controlled by blasting.
However, it is not too late to plant some new kale for a fall crop, if you decide to go that route. It will be ready by late August and will continue yielding right into November.

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RE: Pull aphid-infested Kale?

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I feel your pain. Damn cabbage worms are killing my dino Kale. green little caterpillars.

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RE: Pull aphid-infested Kale?

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Release the hounds! lol.. get some ladybugs in there to devour them! and keep blasting them with water to knock them off.

Is neem safe on edible foliage? I would hesitate to use it on any of my leafy greens, it's an oil, so it's doubtful IMO that it will all wash off. I could be completely wrong though. I use neem on my fruiting veggie plants from time to time, but never on my greens.

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RE: Pull aphid-infested Kale?

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I've heard people drink Neem for medicinal purposes. Forget what it does, but I have always considered it safe.

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RE: Pull aphid-infested Kale?

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I use neem for aphids and whiteflies on my potted herbs, especially over winter indoors. I generally wait a few days before harvesting any, then just a quick rinse. Have been happy with it, and noticed an occasional stickyish buildup, but usually only on my scented geraniums after several applications (they're usually the hardest hit and the hardest sprayed).

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RE: Pull aphid-infested Kale?

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Neem is definitely safe for edible gardening. It is ingested for medicinal purposes and is a big component in many Indian toothpastes as well.

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RE: Pull aphid-infested Kale?

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Draw your own conclusions, but for me, I won't use it on my leafy greens.

Here is a link that might be useful: Neem WebMD

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RE: Pull aphid-infested Kale?

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and another info link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Neem

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