I have never experienced aphid on tomato plants. But on eggplants, peppers, roses, ...have seen them alot.

Earlier this season I found some on the new growth of a rose bush. I pinched that part off and destroyed. No more aphids.

Sey

I don't fertilize at all. This is a new hugelkultur/raised bed, and the top layer is what I always do, topsoil and rotted manure compost. Maybe too much manure? Plants in the new bed and an old bed are affected. Oddly enough, my peppers and eggplants are completely clean. Nothing else is has aphids and whiteflies except the tomatoes. I also cleared out the black garden ants before I planted, as in the past they are notorious aphid farmers in my yard. The neem oil is doing great for the whiteflies, but the aphids are more determined and require the direct approach. Sigh. Time to squish.

I have aphids this year. ugh! They have diseased (CMV) my cukes and peppers. I have ordered some insecticidal soap spray...based on others' advice. We will see. I just have too many affected plants to be trying to squish them all...or hose the undersides of every leaf. We will see how the soap spray works....

Er, how can you say you don't fertilize (at all) when manure is fertilizer.

Except chemical means, it's tough, the oil\soap approach requires very often spraying, to keep them in check (like weekly). I think you should increase maybe the oil concentration a bit, it should definitely work on aphids quite well, but test first to see if plants aren't burned the second or third day.

Yea, some leaves/plants are more sensitive to oil than others. Unfortunately, it seems to me the more tender vegetation (which burns easily)...is the same vegetation the aphids love.

It does seem to be a bad year for them in many parts of the country due to the overly wet spring and yes, too much manure can attract them due to the nitrogen levels. Plus since it is a new bed then your soil amendments likely contained many to begin with.

With sprays watch your application times - not in heat of the day or direct sun. Go for early AM. Surround (kaolin clay) dust also works well.

Dave

Thanks for all the advice! A misreading of the weather (anticipated cloudy day was full sun) did result in some slight burns, but not too bad. As far as feltilizer goes, when I said I didn't fertilize I was thinking of top or side dressing, or a granular added when planting. I may have been slightly too enthusiastic with the manure. It just puzzles me that only tomatoes, in both the new and established beds, are overrun, while all other plants are aphid free. In the meantime, I'll keep up with the spraying on a regular basis, perhaps alternating the oil with soap. I'm just relieved to hear I'm not the only one.

in a weird way, it reminds me of the time my kids got lice. Use shampoo (oil/soap), and comb (squish/knock off with hose) regularly. It's disgusting and tedious, but it's the only way, and in its sheer destructiveness of the pests it's oddly satisfying.

Yes, when it comes to annoying and destructive pests...I enjoy the kill. I finally killed a gopher yesterday that was making mincemeat out of my front lawn. He was as big as a horse!

generalfactotum: It just puzzles me that only tomatoes, in both the new and established beds, are overrun, while all other plants are aphid free.

Different aphid species can have preferences for different plants. Factors like areas of the garden that aphid predators prefer can also make a difference. Also, aphids often get established by flying in/getting blown in on the wind. If your tomato plants are taller than surrounding plants, that can also factor in.

Good point, Gorbelly. And now that I'm on a pest rampage, it's time for the evening slugacide. Good times.

I have had aphids this year too... and this is the first time I have had them in over 8 years.

I have been overrun with aphids myself in Ohio. I used neem oil which did nothing, and after many applications I decided to bite the dust and order some ladybugs online. Less than 24 hours after releasing my ladybug army, the aphid and whitefly population seems to be cut in half! A lot of the ladybugs flew off, despite me releasing them in the evening (supposedly they are more likely to stay if you release them at dusk)... But there's several hundred out of the 1,500 I purchased still nomming away at the pests.

i got the 1,500 ladybugs on Amazon for $6. Sure beats having to go buy more neem oil or sprays! If the rest of my ladybugs fly off, I may order more in a few weeks - If the aphids return, of course.

Katie, which supplier did you order from?

Next year, plant species with small, open flowers around the garden, in borders, etc. Sweet alyssum, yarrow, flowering thyme, let some of the herbs go to flower, etc. It's amazing how much the hoverflies and parasitoid wasps can help. This year, aside from a few clusters early on, I've been seeing more mummified, parasitized aphids than live ones.

General, I ordered them off of Amazon.

Gorbelly, I have a bunch of cilantro and dill that is flowering. I hear ladybugs like both. I also have a pretty large flowerbed with many different types to provide nectar that the ladybugs like. But hopefully they will be more established next year and I won't need to purchase or lure more. Some summers they are everywhere, others, not so much. Fingers crossed!

Amazon Ladybugs

^

Here is a link to the specific ones I ordered. They charge you $5.25 for shipping, but the grand total is only $12 - much cheaper than all the sprays and chemicals I've had to buy in the past.

Even if you don't want to rely specifically on the little bugs, it was a cool experiment to see what would happen.

We are at day 3 now since release, some still remain, but all the whiteflies are gone and there are only a few aphids that I have seen.

I love ladybugs, but the wasps and hoverflies don't seem to leave enough aphids to sustain a large population in my garden.

If I am not mistaking, the adult ladybug does not eat aphids, only the juvenile.

Most ladybugs are voracious carnivores. They do eat aphids. The juveniles eat even more, as growing younguns are wont to do.

Here's some fun video footage.