MITE... A FOUR LETTER WORD

Oh snap!  You have bugs on your plants that are eating more than their fair share!  It's enough to make an organic farmer curse.

Each season presents a whole new host of gardening challenges for farmers, but especially for organic farmers as their methods are not always a quick fix like their counterparts in traditional agriculture that spray toxic chemical to kill pest (don't worry, they can only cause cancer...)   It can be discouraging for some farmers, especially if you find a full-on infestation that's making short work of your labor of love.  Having your battle ax ready in advance can be your saving grace.

Because we hate these guys with our whole organic hearts, we want you to know what to do to deal with them.  So, what should you know about mites and have ready in in your toolbox?

These suckers are most often too small to notice with the naked eye.  You're more likely going to notice the effects of this bug than the bug itself, unless you add in a magnifier to your garden care.
Learn what mite you're dealing with.  Use a scope and then head to google to verify your type of mite.  Don't be without a simple and cheap hand-held pocket scopes easily purchased at this link on Amazon ...

If you're in hot zone, like we are in Southern Oregon, mites simply revel, reproduce like gangbusters and wreak havoc in the heat. Depending on the type of mite, you may see leaf curl, leaf yellowing or spotting/speckling, fine webs or in advanced stages, completely destroyed leaves.

  

Because these pests reproduce so quickly, it's important to get a handle on them as soon as you see signs and then don't stop your efforts until you are absolutely certain they are gone.  New mites are reproductive in as little as a few days old, and one mite left behind could lay 300 eggs in one week and then, well, do the math... mite invasions happen quickly!

• Basic housekeeping in the garden is the first step to getting a handle on mites.  Remove all damaged leaves and dead plant material around the plant.  Keep infected plants from touching other plants. Remove leaf-litter and mulching away from infected plants as mites love to hide/lay their eggs in dirt/organic material.  

• Maintaining healthy soil and strong plants are the first line of defense against predators such as mites.  Test your soil for balanced nutrients before adding in fertilizers and amendments. More is not always better. Verify your soil moisture content. Fortify your plant's diet with trace minerals such as magnesium and borate (commonly missing from soil.)  Foliar sprays from compost tea are a great way to deliver micro-nutrients quickly.  One affordable solution is a gallon of compost tea made from kelp meal and one asparin (asparin delivers salicylic acid which helps strengthen cell walls which in turn gives the plant a fighting chance against fungi, bacteria, viruses and pests.)

• A very effective organic treatment for mites is a foliar spray of neem oil.  Be sure to NOT do this on very hot days because it can smother your plant by preventing adequate leaf respiration.

• Essential oils that work hard against garden pests and specifically mites include Peppermint, Tea Tree, Lavender, Oregano and, Thyme.  Simply add them to your foliar spray treatments and remember a little goes a long ways with essential oils.

• Dust your plants with Diatamacious Earth as it will slice and dice mites.

• Beneficial Nematodes and other biological controls are definitely worth looking into as they target specific pests, such as mites, without hurting other beneficial insects that might help you keep mites away.  For example, Russet Mites will quickly destroy many garden plants yet they can be treated with a fungus that attacks only this specific mite. Follow this link for a product resource.

We would love to hear any success or failure stories you have as they relate to mites!  Wishing you lots of garden success.  Sending organic love your way!  ;)