Topic: Whats safe to control aphid in the greenhouse?

[Chris Graham]

I have a very mild case of aphids on one of my aubergine plants.

So far i have removed and squashed all of the ones that were on the plant.

I also have 7 yellow fly sticky traps hanging above the plants.

But what is safe to control these pests?  Can I use any sprays or insecticides near my tomato plants?

 ???

[cleo]

soft soap-and you never heard this from me==============but if you boiled  some rhubarb leaves in a small amount of water and added a couple of drops of washing up liquid to the resulting liquid?-not that I ever said it was any use as an insecticide you understand

[tim]

I was born deaf, Stephan!

Chris -

1. If you've only got a mild case, keep squidging if you have the time. That should keep on top of it.

2. Sticky traps catch more Hoverflies than they do Aphids.

3. Go with Stephan, but I think that his remedy is a killer, rather than a preventative? And to kill, you have to hit EVERY bug - & I find that difficult.

4. As to a preventative, I do not believe that there is a truly acceptable one?

5. If things look as though they might get out of hand - predators?

[kitten]

I'm pretty sure someone has mentioned before that they've had good success with companion planting inside a g'house to control/deter aphids?  Could it be nasturtiums or tagetes?  Or, as tim says, perhaps some flowers that will attract beneficial insects that eat aphids?  Good luck, it'll be such a shame if all your hard work goes to waste?  :-\

[tim]

I'm sure that companion planting has a great following - with reason - for those so well organised that they can get their Marigolds or whatever to be in flower when their Toms etc go out, & stay in flower for the next 4 months.

Me? I could never hope to achieve that - even living on the premises.

[Trevor_D]

Predators! Phone the nice lady from English Woodlands (That's the firm I use, but there are others.), tell her your problems, give her your credit card number and she'll post you a pack.

I did try companion planting in the greenhouse one year (always use it outside), but the slugs & snails ate the marigolds!!!!

[tim]

Predators - again!

1. You need a lot of plants to justify their expense.They are not cheap.

2. It needs to be warm for the beasts to breed. We're 42F at night at present!

3. Predators are not prophylactic - when they have chomped the present batch of fly, they die.

[kitten]

I did try companion planting in the greenhouse one year (always use it outside), but the slugs & snails ate the marigolds!!!!

Isn't that the point?  They're used as a sacrifice to save the real crop!  ;)

[Chris Graham]

Thanks for all the replies, a lot of good advice.

;)

[manicscousers]

we've just used the garlic and seaweed spray
 boil half a head of garlic, mash, seive and mix with a liquid seaweed feed..spray,
it worked for us in the poly  ;D

[SueSteve]

Plant nasturtiums for white fly.
Calendula marigold with tomatoes.

[tim]

With the GREATEST respect - & you know me - & I know that folk have followed this practice for 100s of years - but;

1. When do you sow the flowers so that they are in bloom now, when needed?

2. How do you keep them in bloom for the next 5 months?

3. If it has worked for some of us, how bad was the initial infestation? Why did you not squidge them? Did it kill them all? Did they reoccur? Or was their non-appearnce & the use of spray coincidental? For instance, I have never had White Fly in the 'house. One could say that this was due to a clinical approach? And one could be so wrong!!

[valmarg]

We have been using the companion planting of marigolds in the pots with tomatoes for many years, and, in our experience it has worked very well against whitefly.

With the greatest respect Tim, it has nothing to do with the flowering at the same time, but by planting the marigolds in the same containers as the tomatoes, the tomatoes take up 'some substance' that the whitefly do not like, and leave the tomato plants alone.  It doesn't affect the flavour of the tomatoes. but from our experience it works.

valmarg

[tim]

Right! At last we have the cat's whiskers!!

So - the plants do NOT have to be in flower - that's great. And when do you sow the marigolds to be ready now?

[Trevor_D]

I only plant marigolds with the outdoor tomatoes (see a previous posting); mine were sown April 9th & are pricked into modules ready to go. Hopefully later this week if Metcheck is to be believed! So to go with indoor tomatoes (mine have been planted for a couple of weeks now) I suppose late March?

Nice to know exactly why it works, though. Thanks.

[tim]

Thank you!

[Spookyville]

some noob questions.... (apologies)

had alook at the local garden centres this weekend and none (plantwise) stocked.

Is it best to sow from a pack of seeds or purchase young plants?

Suggestions for online suppliers ?

Finally any particular variety better than others or do they all work the same.
TIA

[tim]

May I suggest that you delete your post here & put it under Basics??

You'll get a better answer there.

Meanwhile sowif you have time or want it the cheaper way. Buy in if you have to or want to do belt & braces. I do!

Most all suppliers are adequate, until you get hypercritical!

[Barnowl]

Basil is also recommended for planting with tomatoes....

[Spookyville]

thanks for the info.

having been using and posting on forums for 8 years now, I do tend to add to exisiting threads if its discussing the subject I am enquiring about (marigolds in this case) as this thread suggests that posters here (in this thread anyway#) are using this method and have had good results.
Old habits die hard and all that, as well as saving the admins a little bandwidth :)