The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: chairmanphil on July 05, 2012, 06:25:11 pm
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i have suddenly got blackfly all over my wonderful artichokes. anyone got any ideas how to shift them? don't want to use chemicals if at all possible.
thanx Phil :thumbsup:
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lawrence d hills used to reccomend a nictotine based spray, which is now not available to buy and i dont think your allowed to make it yourself but it was basically boiled cigarettes, strained and used as a spray. its deadly to humans so he reccomends marking as poison!!! its only active for a day and is organic, you would have to be very careful with the stuff i should imagine.
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lawrence d hills used to reccomend a nictotine based spray, which is now not available to buy and i dont think your allowed to make it yourself but it was basically boiled cigarettes, strained and used as a spray. its deadly to humans so he reccomends marking as poison!!! its only active for a day and is organic, you would have to be very careful with the stuff i should imagine.
any idea about quantity?
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he reckons to collect 4oz of filter tip cig ends and simmer them in 1qt of water, for half hour, topping up with water as it reduces. then dilute it 4 to 1. i imagine a good lump of baccy would do.
it is banned for a reason, i believe one drop is enough to provoke a massive heartattack. were i to make it it would be for a specific reason, used, then disposed of.
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Well there's organic and then there's organic :o I wouldn't have nicotine spray anywhere near my garden - as you say deepinthewoods, it's toxic to humans, and to a whole lot of other life forms too. So it's organic in that it's made of plant material, but surely it's no longer acceptable under the Soil Association rules?
Chairmanphil - are your artichokes the globe or jerusalem type? If they are jerusalem, you could pinch out the tops as you would with broad beans. If they are globes, then you could use a soft soap or detergent (Ecover washing-up liquid) spray, repeated daily onto every aphid.
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i agree fw. its only to be used accurately as a localised hit. its one of the oldest pesticides, used for 100s of years, its the old fashioned greenhouse fumigant. and its as organic as it gets.its biggest bonus being its harmless to ladybirds and hoverfly.
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might give the soap a try first then, if that fails then i will boil a cigar! :D
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tried the soap and all i have is very clean black fly and ants!
???
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you know what to do.... :D
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you know what to do.... :D
haven't brought any baccy for over 8 years! :D
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If they are globes, then you could use a soft soap or detergent (Ecover washing-up liquid) spray, repeated daily onto every aphid.
is the soap used neat, or diluted?
Dans
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You can buy liquid soap from the Organic Gardening catalogue, either ready mixed in a spray or possibly concentrated (don't know if they still do that). You can also use very plain soap such as Simple and rub some into water - so it becomes slightly opaque, or you could use Lux flakes if they still make them, then use it in your own garden sprayer. You need to cover the entire insect, and you may well need to repeat the spraying every day or so for a few times, and remain vigilant. Not being a poison it won't have a persistant effect, but don't spray it on beneficial insects as it could affect them, depending on type. The only aphid I have found this not to be successful with is Lupin Aphid, which is bigger than most aphids.
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Thanks, had a big influx of aphids, but was busy fighting the caterpillars, they seem to have died down now but will keep this on file for future!
Dans
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nice one FW, will be digging out the lux flakes later on! :thumbsup:
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the Lux flakes worked a treat! no blackfly anywhere now! great tip thanx alot. ate some of them last night and they were delicious!
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Had to check over that one because I thought you had been eating lux flakes or aphids :o
No artichokes at the minute but good tip to remember.
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Had to check over that one because I thought you had been eating lux flakes or aphids :o
No artichokes at the minute but good tip to remember.
haahahha very good! just made i laff! :D