I've never heard of this product, but here's what it says in the FAQ on the Antistress website. Sounds like it's definitely not for use after fruitset, but should be okay before:

VIII. When should AntiStress not be applied?

A. Edible foods.

1. When applying on plants producing edible foods, the last spray should be applied 45 to 60 days before harvest.

a. This applied to those edible fruits or vegetables which are not washed by agitation or brushing action in packing house operations.
b. For those edible foods which are grown for canneries as tomatoes where all parts of the vegetable/fruit are used in the canning process.

Here is a link that might be useful: antistress faq

Never heard of it either but WOW! 45-60 days before? You'd have to spray before there was even any fruitset on many varieties. What good would that do? What is it you are trying to accomplish with its use?

The diluted foliar spray dries to a clear semipermeable membrane (elastic protective coating) which provides the plant with an effective shield for reducing the ravaging effects of weather related stress conditions.

It has an acrylic base that When dried on the leaf surface, the elastic protective coating will stretch approximately 1000%. Plastic encased tomato leaves? While I guess I can see its role for commercial producers, I would pass on this in my home garden.

Dave

well, i've got spider mites and from my research it looks bleak. Right now they are not bad, but it seems that my searches in the various forums suggest they will eventually kill my plants. I discovered this product while researching spider mite issues.

Has any body whipped spider mites before? is it hopeless?

I'm pretty sure there was a person on here last year that whipped a pretty severe spider mite problem with neem oil. have you looked into that?

well, i've got spider mites and from my research it looks bleak. Right now they are not bad, but it seems that my searches in the various forums suggest they will eventually kill my plants.

I don't think the product you've mentioned is the answer you need to look to at this time if you've already got a known/visible spider mite infestation. So, I won't go into detail re what I may think about it. It sounds like you need some suggestions on how to deal with a spider mite infestation already underway. So, I'll just share my experiences dealing with them and offer some suggestions.

Yes, a severe spider mite problem left untreated (especially in a hot climate) can kill your plants. But it is not hopeless if you are diligent and use the right stuff frequently enough. :-)

I have found blasting plants with water seems to have little effect, especially when an infestation is well underway. I'll also add that increasing the humidity (or being in a humid climate) is no guarantee. Even folks in Fla and Hawaii can have major problems with spider mites at times.

Neem oil -- It can help, but isn't usually the first thing I reach for in my hot clime as it can burn the plants if the temp is too hot not only when sprayed, but even later when temps are in mid 90's - 100's for days on end as it is oil based and does leave a coating of oil on plants. In any case, you'll need to be careful if you try it, and don't use when direct sun is on the plants or when temps are hot.

As for Sevin and some other "broad spectrum" insect killers commonly found in the box stores, the vast majority of them have zero effect on mites, and may even add to the problem, as they kill any potential predatory insects, but not the mites.

One thing that can work well if you are diligent is a soap spray (mixed up per label instructions), applied 2x a week for two weeks until you get some good control. You would spray ALL surfaces of plants including and *especially* undersides of leaves in the morning, then rinse off after a couple of minutes. Thereafter, use once a week or so.

The reason for initially applying a soap spray 2x a week is spider mites have a rather quick turnaround on their reproductive cycle (I think around 3 days or so, if memory serves). Why you may as well go ahead and rinse it off after a few minutes is that the soap spray has no residual effect, and works by dehydrating and/or rupturing soft bodied insects on contact. Soap can also make plants photosensitive (especially if temps are high right now in your area), so again, you may as well go ahead and rinse off.

Pyrethins are also very good to excellent for doing battle against spider mites, and are what I have personally gotten the best results with. A favorite of mine is Pyganic, but it is expensive. A little goes a very long way, though.

Yet another recommended product (if you can find it) is made by Greenlight and is a combo of neem oil and pyrethin. I think they market it as fruit tree spray or something like that. I usually see it at most better nurseries.

One more product I'll mention is Surround - a finely milled kaolin clay that is mixed with water and sprayed onto the foliage. It has to be re-applied after heavy rains, though. I really see it as more of a preventative than a cure if you already have an infestation underway. I grow too many tomato plants to make it practical, but I do occasionally use it on pepper plants, and it does a good to great job at keeping aphids, mites, and various other insects at bay.

Can't emphasize enough that everything I've suggested above has the potential to burn your plants (except the Surround) and should only be used early in the day, on a cool/hazy day, or late afternoon.

Good luck, spider mites can be persistent. Don't treat with whatever just a time or two and think you've solved the problem. Treat early and often, and periodically afterwards. Also (for future reference) become familiar with the earliest signs of spider mites including dulling of the leaves and carefully monitoring the undersides of leaves early in the season to see if they are there.

I've found that it almost always takes more than one method to eliminate mites as they develop resistance rather quickly. Consider Neem AND Pyrethrin or some other combination of methods/products.

On spidermites. NO contact spray will work 100% on large or many plants. By that I mean spidermites live on the undersides of leaves. It is impossible to spray UNDER each leaf and in every tiny leaf fold or turn. If you miss just one leaf out of 10,000 leaves they return in a week or two.

Systemic sprays should never be used on food crops.

I recommend green lacewing larva. They are the best mite predators I have ever seen. Once you have a huge infestation you will need some help though. Here's what I would do:

Spray suze's soap or Pyganic spray. Make sure to spray UNDER as many leaves as you can, the entire plant and the ground. A week to 10 days later release your lace wing larva. Say goodbye to your spidermites.

Next year, release the eggs at the very beginning of spidermite onslaught. You will no longer have a need to spray and your garden will manage itself naturally without effort on your part and without dangerous chemical involvement.

I agree that spider mites need not be fatal to the plants - it takes some time and effort to control/eliminate them as the other have said - but it can be done and with safer and more effective products than this one in question. This product isn't directed at controlling them so not relevant to the problem.

Lacewings as discussed by bigdaddy are ideal if SM are a chronic problem in your area and they have many other benefits too. For the "I just fond them and want to get ahead of them now" solution, the soapy water with oil approach (1 T liquid soap and 1 tsp. mineral oil in 1 gallon of water) is very good in my experience. Depends on how many plants you have to spray and how much time you have to diligently work on them.

There are also chemical sprays sold especially for use on spider mites - see link below.

Lastly, this is one case where I advocate aggressive pruning of the leaf branches of the plants - eliminate their hiding/breeding places and then spray every 3 days (avoid direct sunlight or hot part of the day when spraying) until all signs of them disappear. Then spray weekly to prevent return.

Good luck.

Dave

If anyone is interested, the organic soap seems to be working a bit. i'm on my second treatment in a week and I think I see a difference.

Also, antistress 2000 updated their website, and now it says its explicitly ok to use on fruit plants. Take a look and tell me what you think.

thanks

Dip