Bad Insect Infestation TPP Can you bring plants back from the dead

Summary

This video chronicles the recovery of severely infested chili plants, plagued by TPP (tomato/potato psyllid). The host demonstrates an intensive, hands-on approach: pruning, spraying with insecticides like Maverick, and using yellow sticky traps to reduce the pest population. Over time, some plants show signs of recovery with new growth, despite some still being damaged. The host shares insights into the process, challenges, and progress, all while experimenting with different techniques to save breeding plants. By the end, the plants are largely revived, showcasing the power of care, treatment, and perseverance in restoring them.

Takeaways

• 😀 The plants were severely infested with the Tomato/Potato Psyllid (TPP) after the speaker returned from being overseas for a month.
• 😀 The initial approach involved pruning the plants, removing heavily infested leaves, and using Maverick insecticide as the first-ever insecticide treatment on the property.
• 😀 Yellow sticky strips were placed on the plants to attract and trap flying adult TPP insects, and it quickly became apparent that the infestation was intense.
• 😀 The speaker adopted a combination of pruning, spraying with insecticide, and placing sticky strips to control the infestation.
• 😀 Despite the heavy infestation, the speaker hoped to salvage the plants for their seeds, as they were part of a breeding program.
• 😀 By day three, the infestation was visibly reduced, with fewer pests and more new growth observed, but some plants were still showing signs of damage.
• 😀 After a week, there was visible progress, with some plants starting to produce fruit, though the infestation was still present in dead or weakened leaves.
• 😀 Despite the damage, some plants showed resilience with new growth and flowering, indicating potential recovery.
• 😀 The speaker continued spraying the plants to manage any lingering pest issues, using a wetter agent to ensure the insecticide adhered longer to the leaves.
• 😀 After a month of treatment, many plants showed significant recovery, with healthy fruit setting on various pepper varieties. Despite some losses, the experiment demonstrated the possibility of restoring heavily infested plants.

Q & A

What was the initial condition of the plants when the person returned from overseas?

The plants were heavily infested with TPP (Tomato/Potato Psyllid), with many of the leaves showing significant damage, including heavy contamination and pests. The situation was severe enough that the person believed the plants might be beyond recovery.

What actions were taken to address the infestation?

The person began by removing the bottom leaves of the plants to reduce the infestation. They then sprayed the plants with Maverick, an insecticide, and set up yellow sticky traps to catch the flying pests. Additionally, the person regularly inspected and sprayed the plants to control the infestation.

Why did the person use yellow sticky traps in this situation?

Yellow sticky traps were used to capture the flying adults of the pests. The traps were effective in attracting the insects, as they were drawn to the color yellow, which is known to attract many types of bugs, including the pests damaging the plants.

What is Maverick, and why was it used despite the person typically avoiding insecticides?

Maverick is an insecticide used to control pests like TPP. It was used in this case because the infestation was so severe that the person decided to take an extreme measure to save the plants, even though they usually prefer integrated pest management (IPM) techniques and avoid using insecticides.

How effective were the yellow sticky traps in controlling the infestation?

The yellow sticky traps proved to be highly effective, as they were quickly covered with pests. Even shortly after being placed, the traps were already full, showing that the pests were attracted to the traps in large numbers.

How did the plants fare after the first round of treatment?

After the initial treatment with pruning, spraying, and setting up sticky traps, some of the plants showed signs of improvement, with less pest activity visible. However, many plants were still in poor condition, and some were not recovering as well as others.

What was the overall progress after a week of treatment?

After a week, some of the plants started to show new growth, while others continued to struggle. There was still a significant amount of pest presence, but much of it was dead. The person observed that some plants had started to flower, indicating that the treatment was beginning to show positive effects.

What signs indicated that the TPP infestation was still ongoing despite the treatment?

The presence of eggs on the edges of some leaves indicated that the TPP infestation was not entirely eradicated. The new growth on the plants was also carefully monitored to detect any further signs of pest activity, such as new eggs or damage.

How did the person manage their breeding plants amidst the infestation?

The person prioritized saving their breeding plants, which were crucial for their seed production. They used insecticides like Maverick specifically on these plants, as they wanted to preserve them for future breeding purposes despite the infestation.

What was the final outcome of the treatment and recovery process?

After several weeks of treatment, including regular sprays and monitoring, the plants showed a dramatic recovery. New growth, flowers, and fruit began to appear on the plants. While some plants did not fully recover, most of them improved significantly, and the person was able to salvage some of their prized breeding plants.