Nicotine spray

[Safhyre]

Hi there

I saw last night on the Big Dig, one of the ladies was spraying her beans with a nicotine spray , she claimed that it did not affect the plant but it was good on detering black fly...so my question is...has any one tried and would you recommend..

aoplogies...newbie maybe asking a dense question

many thanks

[HeyWayne]

I've tried the patches before, and they did nothing!

Sorry, it's an affliction I have.

I've never suffered too badly with blackfly on my beans (in both years I've been growing), but when I have had them they have tended to be at the tips of the plants (they like the tasty new growth). I have simply nipped the tips off the plants and got rid that way. Worked on climbing beans and broadies.

Someone who has used nicotine spray will probably be along soon...

[Flummery]

I have this feeling that nicotine is toxic. (Maybe it isn't but I don't like the idea) I wouldn't use it. I'm happy with soapy water for blackfly.

[Safhyre]

Flummery when you say soapy water, do you mean washing up liquid??

[Flummery]

Yes, a spray bottle of water with a squirt of Ecover is what I use. The detergent breaks down the fatty coating on the aphids and they are doomed!

[FB.]

I thought that nicotine was a standard treatment for organic growers - kills just about everything!
I don't like the idea of it.

[Safhyre]

thanks everyone for the advice, i think i will go with
Nicotine = nil
soapy water = 1

I shall also try what heywayne suggested...picking the tops off...plus I need a thicker note book to write all these suggestions down....being a newbie is hard work !!!!

[Snadger]

A lot of smokers used to make there own nicotine spray by soaking dog ends in water............

Victorian gardeners often smoked pipes which acted as pesticides in the greenhouses..........

Neither of which are recommended............

[terrier]

Tobacco mosaic virus comes to mind! Maybe I won't try it.