Whitefly on my brassica's!

[stv]

My brocolli and cabbage is completely infested with white fly (allthough they look more like moths to me?)
I have been occasionally spraying soapy water (ecover) onto them and picked all ladybirds i can find on the allotment and dropped them onto plants, but they seem undeterred!

Does anyone know of a way of sorting the little blighters out, without the use of chemical spray...

Also it is tenderstem brocolli i am growing for the first time, does anyone have any info on that too?

thanks
Steve

[25cowlane]

We also have a similar infestation on our cabbages and cant seem to shift them so would also be interesed in replies.

[SueA]

Hi stv & 25cowlane & welcome, if you want to spray with something which is acceptable to most organic gardeners try Vitax Organic 2 in 1 spray or Derris liquid which are based on plant extracts & natural insecticides but they will harm beneficial insects if you spray when they are around too. Whitefly are more common in greenhouses but because the weather has been so hot for so long they are beginning to take over outside as well this year in some places! Other than that I can only think maybe trying to cover the crops with a very fine enviromesh or fleece might keep them off but you would have to get rid of them all first or they'd be trapped inside with your crops for lunch!

[leona]

i had a ton of them mainly on one sprout plant and i went round squishing everything i could find. they havent returned, maybe its all the dead bodies?

[stv]

Thanks for quick responses,
If i were to spray with the organic remedy,and take off the ladybirds first. Will the ladybirds be ok to return after spraying?

[nick the grief]

Hi STV,
Like Sue says derris is'nt selective so you are best to spray at night (dusk ish) then you can move any ladybirds out of the way & by the time they come back your plants will be dried off.

[heebiejeebie]

These things move in fast - I planted a row of PSB and some swede. Went to get the polytunnel cloche thingy and when I came back about 10 mins later there were whitefly on the brassicas already.

[multiveg]

The whitefly on cabbages are different from the whitefly you get in the greenhouse. If whitefly in greenhouse, then it may be suitable to use a biological control - wasp, Encarsia. It's even possible to buy in more ladybirds.

Apart from insecticidal soap, I use the finger and thumb method though this can be quite yucky.

Maybe too late for this year, but for next, hope you have plenty of plants that attract hoverflies, lacewings and more ladybirds. Our ladybirds were "at it" on our hazel nut tree.