White - prevention not cure?

[Vegman]

Had a bit of a problem over the winter with white fly on me curly Kale and spring Cabbage! They say that marigolds and basil will put them off but anyone know the planting density? I think if I can scare them off in the summer, they wont be there in the winter.
I did note that the gardener on "Jamie at home" said he puts the vacumm cleaner on his!!! But then maybe his wife understands his "needs"!

[alan refail]

Vegman

French marigolds will combat greenhouse whitefly, but I doubt if they would be any use against brassica whitefly - two different things.

See http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0500/whitefly.asp

and

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Advice/profiles11 ... itefly.asp

[Primrose]

I'm not sure about Basil warding off whitefly. I grow it on my kitchen windowsill all year round and the whitefly positively LOVE IT. None of the standard deterrents seem to keep them away. When I place a yellow sticky sheet beside the pot it becomes rapidly covered in them and looks disgusting but they still continue breeding on the leaves. I'm beginning to believe that stories about whitefly deterrents are fairy tales because I find them difficult to eliminate, either indoors or outdoors. Only dousing regularly with a hosepipe spay dislodges them for a short time.

[Johnboy]

Hi Alan,
Although there are several types of White Fly they will at a pinch have ago at other things.
Cabbage White Fly will happily enter a greenhouse or tunnel and breed on anything that is available there.
Other forms of White Fly will also have a go at Brassicas. Although it is possible to categorize them and name them for a particular group of plants it is by no means fool-proof.
It is said that there are several types of Black Fly but the same applies there they are not as fussy as people would like to believe.
JB.

[Lurganspade]

With White fly,"nothing works".

Neither Marigolds or Basil, insecticides or washing up liquids,or even using the hose on them.
Believe me I have tried everything on the blighters,over the years.

Yellow hanging traps only catch the unwary ones, which leaves more room for the other blighters to breed even more.

My problem is they love my indoor tomatoes,and they spoil not only the leaves but also the fruit with their droppings.

Actually I have become in desperation, quite expert at exterminating them, by catching them between my hands, Oi!!!

Cheers