Allotments 4 All

HELP,  I had these wonderfull Brussels plants really doing well about 2ft 6ins high tiny Brussels on them. now not only being eaten by caterpillars but  black flies on them, not the kind that  beans get but about the size of a flying ant but these are black and arenot flying ants.  Any idea`s  ???

Hi I was at allotment today and found a tomatoe that had been eaten through, I opened it up and found ants in it, Im not sure about what yours are but my colls and broccoli all in the bin through through the same thing as yours, so would be interested in this one, but hope you can save them

What are the bugs doing to your brussels? If the plants look healthy, there's probably no need to panic. Slugs probably had the tom, and the ants are cashing in on the sweet juice.

The bugs are turning my greens brussels cabbage, broc and swede to skeletonsAnd now I have these black flies about the same size as flying ants but more like a fly, I have used derris liquid and then bug clear.  I counted 40 caterpillars on one plant today.   :'(

Not sure what your black things are but my Brussels are covered in white flies. Apart from leaving a white deposit on the underside of the leaves which wash off fairly easily I do not know what other damage they do. Anyone know?
I have been picking and squashing loads of green caterpillars of my cabbages and have sprayed them with a garlic wash which seems to have stopped them reappearing.

Try boiling up rhubarb leaves and spraying the juice on them. I bet it's the caterpillars not the bugs doing the damage.

I've got the little white gnat like things on my brasicas too. Don't appear to be doing any harm, well not compared to the caterpillars any way!

How do you make this garlic wash?  Is it just chopped garlic dissolved in warm water?

The garlic wash is made by boiling 2 bulbs of garlic in 2 pints of water for at least 20mins. Be warned though it is a foul smell. Strain the liquid and make back up to two pints. You can use a tablespoon in a watering can full of water every time you water or as I do put a splash into a sprayer full of water and spray with that. It seems to work well in detering the butterflies laying their eggs and keeping the slugs away. It was first shown on Gardeners World where a lady used it regularly on her Hostas to keep the slugs off.

I,v got little black fly,s on mine too, about the size of a small ant don,t know if they are harming the plant. will try to get a pic tomorrow
marg

One of the old boys on the allotment near me puts rhubarb leaves in a water butt and uses that to spray on his cabbages...has any one else heard of this? ???

Yep, the oxalic acid in the leaves is nasty stuff, many boil some leaves to produce a "tea" that can be watered down for spraying or watering over things...  :)

Mmm interesting, perhaps I should listen to the old dears more?

How often should I use this potion? and (I know its gruesome) but what does it do to the slugs?

oh...my other half asks does it change flavour??