Anyone tried this?

[Mulchkin]

I've recently acquired about a million whitefly on my formerly lovely swede patch and also a load of small black flies which don't seem to be doing any harm so far. All my other brassicas are covered with insect netting, but the swede outgrew the makeshift cage we made (had no idea they grew that big!) so they are out in the open now.

I really don't want to spray edible things with chemical pesticides so I was wondering if anyone has tried this and is it effective?

Organic 2 in 1 | Vitax

It doesn't mention flea beetle on there, but my radishes are covered in them so it would be great if it worked on those too.

I smelled a garlic spray a few weeks ago and the smell was so horrible I don't think I could face making a home-made one!

[Two_Sheds]

For flea beetle, try and keep the crop dampish ... they don't like water

Also, wave some sticky paper (fly-paper type stuff) above the radish and the beetles will jump up and stick to it. Repeat as nec.

[Mulchkin]

Call me weird but that sounds like great fun!!! I'll get the sticky-backed plastic out there tomorrow

[snohare]

Call me weird but that sounds like great fun!!! I'll get the sticky-backed plastic out there tomorrow

Mulchkin, I get the feeling you would really love the gadget that Geoff Hamilton ( I think it was) invented for trapping flea beatle. Imagine a hoe...but instead of the blade you have a couple of wheels. In between the wheels you have something to brush the plants and make the flea beatles spring up; and of course, cunningly situated, you have some sticky flypaper type stuffie that gives them a terminal home.
All made with nails, cotton reels, and a couple of small bits of wood. Almost worth not netting, just to have the excuse...
But if you don't have the molasses and cotton reels handy, then I've used this Vitax stuff, (or something very like it) and it worked fine on whitefly and greenfly.

[Lotsaveg]

The product contains plant oils. I've never had much success using these types of product as they've cause me a lot of leaf damage.

[Florence Fennel]

That gadget sounds more like Heath Robinson than Geoff Hamilton Snohare! Off to have a look.

[Nik]

I stopped worrying about whitefly. Whatever you do to get rid of them they just come back - and I have never seen a massive difference in brassicas when I have constantly cleared them off than when I have just left them. They seem to be pretty harmless - it's the cabbage whites you need to really worry about.

[Mulchkin]

That's reassuring Nik, thanks - although there are lots of white patches on the underside of the leaves (eggs?) I can't see any holes or any thinning yet and they still seem to be growing well.

Not seen any cabbage whites yet, but with all that lovely foliage out in the open I'm sure it's just a matter of time. I assume this sort of organic stuff won't have any effect on them?

Snohare - I'm intrigued by the sound of that contraption, let me know if you ever find a picture of one, I'd love to see it!

[Aberdeenplotter]

The product contains plant oils. I've never had much success using these types of product as they've cause me a lot of leaf damage.

this post has reminded about neem oil. I bought it once and never used it, in fact still have it somewhere .

Anyways, here's a link so you can have a read about it Discover Neem Oil: Uses, Benefits, Recipes and Remedies

[Plot06]

Piece of cardboard hole in the front end with a bit of string dangling down with a nut tied to the end. Smear the card with something sticky run it along the row letting the nut just touch the top of the leaves . Scrape off the sticky and off you go again Have fun

[Vagetarian]

Aberdeenplotter, I have used neem oil and it does seem to work but it's a bit of a pain. Use a bit of dish soap to help break it down but even then it doesn't really mix with water very well at all. It also has a strong garlic/sulphur smell which is awful. At one point I was even washing my cats in it to kill the fleas but soon tired of wrestling them into buckets of water.

I found a good blast of soapy water to be as good as anything at getting rid of the aphids, providing you give them a good soaking, which is required with neem oil anyway.

[Lotsaveg]

I found a good blast of soapy water to be as good as anything at getting rid of the aphids, providing you give them a good soaking, which is required with neem oil anyway.

One of the easiest and cheapest ways of controlling aphids, particularly on roses, is a dose of hose water.