Companion planting for blackfly

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Companion planting for blackfly - at it's best!!

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nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 10 1:35 am Post subject: Companion planting for blackfly - at it's best!!

I've mentioned this somewhere else so hope you don't mind if I repeat myself, it's just that this summer, due to my pi$$ poor weeding skills, mother Nature has provided, and I thought fellow bean growers should know.

I planted sacrificial nasturtiums alongside my broad beans this year. In the neighbouring potato patch(18" away), a lone cow parsley poked its head up. Said cow parsley got left alone, and is now COVERED head to foot in blackfly, the broad beans are aphid free, and so are the (edible) nasturtiums. Result! Thanks, Mother Nature

astra

Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 1243
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 10 7:56 am Post subject:
I've got nasturtiums in with my broad beans but the blackfly are only on the beans. I shall try a few cow parsley plants next year

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 10 1:13 pm Post subject:
Have you pinched out the tips of the plants Astra? The blackfly seem to prefer that bit.

zigs

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 524
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 10 9:27 pm Post subject:
i've planted nasturtiums but fortunatly not broad beans, which are the devils vegetable along with cucumbers. Only a slight fly prob on the welsh beans so far.

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 10 9:35 pm Post subject:
thankfully, I've not seen black fly anywhere at all this year.

zigs

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 524
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 10 9:41 pm Post subject:
I'll post you a couple

astra

Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 1243
Location: Somerset

Posted: Thu Jul 01, 10 4:12 pm Post subject:

nettie wrote:

Have you pinched out the tips of the plants Astra? The blackfly seem to prefer that bit.

Yes nettie I did

they didn't arrive til after I'd done that bit. Sprayed all the little b....'s several times in very soapy water and hopefully that seems to be keeping them under control. Hate killing stuff though, wish the birds would eat them rather than the ants using them as milch cows!!

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