Kitchen Garden Forum

When I was a child (late 50's early 60's) we always spent ages washing greenfly off lettuces we'd bought from greengrocers. I know why we don't get them on bought lettuces nowadays, but I've never had greenfly on my own salad leaves (so far!). Does anyone know why and has anyone else noticed this? I don't spray them and only spray things like broad beans and then it's with soapy water.
------------Granny

Can't come up with an answer, except that over the last few years I have seen very few greenfly (other aphids yes, but not the all-too-familiar green ones). Now wait for the replies from members who are infested with them

Alan

alan refail wrote:over the last few years I have seen very few greenfly

They're in my conservatory (and on many things that I try to grow there). Would you like them back?!


Colin

Hi Alan,
Like you I actually see very few of the old greenfly around now. I use netting on most of my crops now but some years back I was growing some Russel Lupins and one morning I look at the crop and it had all these bumps on them and they turned out to be an aphid that was at least six times the normal aphid size. They got zapped and I have never ever seen the like of them again anywhere.
Has anybody had the like on their plot.
I never did actually identify them.
JB.

I get them on my salad leaves if I grow them outside. So much so that the kids won't eat lettuce if they find out it's been grown outside. Sissies!
Maybe it depends on whether you have other wild or cultivated host plants growing nearby.

Now here's a surprise, Johnboy They're lupin aphids. Used to suffer so much I stopped growing lupins. Never seen them again, of course.

Alan

Perhaps I'm lucky but since I stopped growing roses I get very few greenfly in the garden and although I grow all my lettuces outdoors, it's one infestation problem I rarely seem to suffer from. But whitefly is an altogether different problem to eradicate, as well as blackfly, which do seem to love my climbing beans. Isn't it strange that some insect infestations seem to thrive in certain conditions, yet others, which seem to be broadly similar, don't.

Hi Primrose,
Try growing the good old fashioned Marigold (Calendula) in the borders of the bean bed and the black fly love them and the accumulate on the flower stems which you simply pick and destroy. I also grow Nasturtiums in my garden and Black fly love these also and if you find them on a leaf stalk then again simply pick and destroy.
I always pick the top growth of Broad Beans and eat as for greens(steamed).
As you say White Fly are a different kettle of fish and infinitely more damaging to crops. I net all my brassicas but if there is a hiccup and they do find their way into my brassicas they get nuked.
JB.

What do you nuke em with JB

Any body played around with homemade chilli type sprays for white fly and such?

black bean fly on broad beans i suffer from. tryed garlic sprays. only works in short term.
green fly usually go for my peppers first. i rub them off. hot dry conditions seem to be their favorite!

our biggest problem is black fly which devistates the broad beans and hits the cherry trees. I have managed to get round it by only sowing broad beans in Oct/Nov to harvest by end of May so they haven't had time to get going on the beans before harvest time. The cherries are harder i just live with it and prune out the worst affected areas which are usually the tips of the branches.

I tried planting naturtiums and marigolds but the black fly were not at all interested in them and still went for the beans. Maybe i have a french variety who don't know the rules