Allotments 4 All

Anyone grown these? A lot of them have been covered in blackfly, to the point where flowers have shrivelled up on some of them. I've never seen that on BB's before. I tried Google, and found someone else reporting a similar experience. They didn't all have so many aphids though, so it may be possible to breed a more resistant strain. I'm wondering whether it's going to be worth persevering with them, though.

Sorry about this Robert.  I have this every year on my normal Sutton BBs.  I'm getting close to giving up on BBs altogether.  I've tried squishing them off and spraying with soapy water.  There are always ladybirds but never enough to keep on top of the blackfly.  Haven't got anything to suggest I'm afraid.

it seems like a bad year. I've got them on the BBs, parsnips, runner beans, some french beans and dahlias

we're using our garlic spray on everything, mixed with the seaweed feed, don't know if it's helped or the fact that the next plot has dahlias and they're covered in them  :-\

Manics - is this concoction you use (garlic spray) one you make up yourself?   Recipe if possible please?
twinkletoes

it's been on here somewhere,
we boil up about 1 or 2 full bulbs of garlic (usually use all the small ones left from our own)
strain and pour into a 6 pint milk carton, dilute by ray's slosh a bit in, could be half a mug  ::) in to our sprayer, mixed in with the normal dilution of seaweed feed,
as I say, not sure if it does any good but it certainly doesn't do any harm  ;D

we had this problem last year,
this year planted aguadulce in autumn, no blackfly whatsoever,
the plants get bigger and tougher before the blackfly coma long.

i was under the impresion that garlic tea was to keep the slugs off thats what we use down these parts works well enough

I've never had any trouble with blackfly on my overwintered BB's; they're as tough as old boots anyway. Most plants can withstand aphids quite well, and I feel that anything that can't is a bit of a waste of space. But I'm inclined to persevere with these, at least to see whether, by selecting seed from the plants which aren't attacked badly, I can breed a resistant strain. I don't see why it can't be done.

Australian Tea Tree Bodycare handwash seems to be working quite well against the blackfly. Not much science behind it but its working for me. I put about a tablespoon in a litre of water.

Duke

I've heard of tea tree oil before as an insecticide. I don't intend to bother though; if the plants can't handle aphids, away with them!