I started a new set of first-years this spring (after my ex killed the old ones a few years ago). Except for the early-June incident of a couple Japanese beetles munching the growing tips off of my Tettnanger and serverely delaying its growth, they've been going like gangbusters all summer, reaching the railing on the third floor deck. Virtually no issues all summer, water levels stayed ideal.
However, now that it's just about time to harvest my first flush of cones, I've found whiteflies on them, particularly at the tops of the plants. I've tried the early-morning and late-night hosing down. I also did a spray of water/dish soap/canola oil. The oil or soap wilted/browned some of the leaves and outside edges of some cones.
At this point, the bines and leaves are free of the pests, but the cones still have tons of flies, larvae/pupae, and eggs in amongst the petals where the sprays don't really reach or drip out cleanly. I'm not sure which way it's going, but these cones appear to have less lupulin "pollen" than the others - maybe they're eating it, maybe their damage is restricting development. I think there's a clear arguement that these hops will require at least some boil time and not be used for dry-hopping for risk of infection.
Is there a way to get these buggers out and salvage my hops?
I know that some farmers rinse leafy greens with a dilute hydrogen peroxide bath (followed by a clean water rinse) to remove mildews and molds and have seen comments that it works for spider mites too. I'm wondering if this is a viable approach or whether the excess O2 bubbling out will have a negative impact on the lupulin yield.
No hops harvested yet, but should be pulling the first flush down within the week. Bines are Cascade (3), Tettnanger (2 stunted - root development year), Goldings (1), and Amallia (1 late-developing monster, burrs still converting to cones), growing in south-central NH.
However, now that it's just about time to harvest my first flush of cones, I've found whiteflies on them, particularly at the tops of the plants. I've tried the early-morning and late-night hosing down. I also did a spray of water/dish soap/canola oil. The oil or soap wilted/browned some of the leaves and outside edges of some cones.
At this point, the bines and leaves are free of the pests, but the cones still have tons of flies, larvae/pupae, and eggs in amongst the petals where the sprays don't really reach or drip out cleanly. I'm not sure which way it's going, but these cones appear to have less lupulin "pollen" than the others - maybe they're eating it, maybe their damage is restricting development. I think there's a clear arguement that these hops will require at least some boil time and not be used for dry-hopping for risk of infection.
Is there a way to get these buggers out and salvage my hops?
I know that some farmers rinse leafy greens with a dilute hydrogen peroxide bath (followed by a clean water rinse) to remove mildews and molds and have seen comments that it works for spider mites too. I'm wondering if this is a viable approach or whether the excess O2 bubbling out will have a negative impact on the lupulin yield.
No hops harvested yet, but should be pulling the first flush down within the week. Bines are Cascade (3), Tettnanger (2 stunted - root development year), Goldings (1), and Amallia (1 late-developing monster, burrs still converting to cones), growing in south-central NH.
