It's what friends are for.

[adamS]

Hi Guys, First real post so please be nice ! (reading other posts I know you all are but don't break old habits!) - I bought an aubergine plant at the farmers market the other day, and my friend looked after it for me for the week, while I have lots of fruit and veg growing at home (all in pots, as my flat only has slabs for a garden) I bought a mini greenhouse to keep chilli, tomato and peppers in.

When I got the aubergine plant back from my friend it had lots of aphids on ! so I washed the leaves off, sprayed them with fairy liquid mist as well ( no ladybirds or hoverflies as I live right in the middle of Portsmouth) and had to resort to aphid spray as the washing didn't seem to kill them. While I've aesthetically got rid of the little b*ggers, I'm worried that if I now put the aubergine into the mini greenhouse, any eggs I can't see will hatch and get the whole lot of my crop (I haven't had any aphid trouble as yet)

Basically wondered if there were any suggestions, and moreover, solutions!

Thanks in advance

Adam

[FionaH]

I'm fairly new to this so no idea what to do with the aphids, but welcome to the Vine anyway

[adamS]

Hey Fiona,

No worries, thanks for the welcome I just don't want to leave it out of the greenhouse for too long ! and not sure what to do ! I'll have a root (get it ) around online...

[zazen999]

Washing up liquid sprayed on aphids doesn't kill them. It reduces the surface tension so that the water that is sprayed on after gets into their lungs and kills them. Some say that Washing up liquid doesn't work anyway - it has to be soft soap.

Also, they have babies every day, so you have to spray time and time again.

I spray mine with soft soap then they get a good dousing with the garden hose [not a blast, a weak spray just lots of it]. I also leave them outside for the day so that other insects can come along and eat them.

If that doesn't work, they get squished at the end of the day, and I do it all again the day after.

[sweetiepea]

My only experience with aphids is confined to houseplants and roses. Apart from doing what you've already done all I can advise is vidulance. (can’t spell!) Check your plants (and any others if it's sharing space) twice daily and squish any you find between your fingertips - but be gentle with the leaves. Personally I'd be cautious with chemicals, (other grapes will probably be better qualified to advise on that) but I wouldn't be afraid to give it a spray from the hosepipe. This has worked for me. Also, when checking for aphids, check the top of the soil/compost too as they can often be lurking there too.

[adamS]

Zazen and sweetiepea , thanks for the advice. annoyingly we don't have a garden hose, and have no way of getting one so I'm restricted to a watering can. I think what I may do it take a cutting (one of the unaffected leaves) and then get rid of the plant, as I don't want hoards of aphids all over my plants ! They haven't affected the area at all until now, so it may be that they don't like the slab/urban environment, (no greenery at all where I am , right next to the HMS Victory !!! ) I'll give it a day or two and have a look at it again maybe..

[bluemoon]

Adam, just because you're in a city doesn't mean there are no hover flies and ladybirds. Cities are surprisingly teaming with wildlife, probably more so than the countryside as a city's plants aren't systematically drenched in pesticides, and I've only ever had to resort to a bug-gun once, three years ago, and then I only gave something three squirts - it was a new plant that was half dead when I bought it, otherwise I wouldn't have used it at all. The rest of the time the local predatory insect population takes care of any aphids.

[Two_Sheds]

I think what I may do it take a cutting (one of the unaffected leaves) and then get rid of the plant, as I don't want hoards of aphids

???
you are still going to get aphids, unless you control (squish) them. The adults will fly in, breed (they have live babies, which are born already pregnant) and reinfest your cutting and any other new plants. It's what they do !

[zazen999]

Get some sunflowers and keep them in pots - they are the biggest attractor of ladybirds I have ever seen....they love them

[BFG]

The sunflower idea is worth a go. Aphids (and the ants that farm them) love them (and teasels I've found), so that'll probably why the Ladybirds like them.

Put it outside near the sunflower and if you're lucky Ants will do the hard work for you and transport the aphids to the sunflower.

Something will come along and eat them at some point anyway. You need a few pests to encourage the predators. It's about getting a natural balance.

Nasturiums, Marigoilds and other small yellow flowers are the best for attracting hoverflys. They'll be attracted to the flowers and and lay their eggs in aphid colony, which will then eat them.

Blue tits and other small birds eat them too. Encourage them in with some fat balls and a birdpath or pond and they'll hopefully hang around for the aphids.

[adamS]

problem solved (for now!) I soaped and put some water over the plants and they don't seem to have come back ! fingers crossed!

[NOG]

I hope you are not hoping for a big crop. To get anyting worthwile you will need either a heated greenhouse or a very hot summer.

[adamS]

I used to be lucky enough to work for a guy who had huge heated greenhouses, it was fantastic, but while joking about the animals, we're making the most of what small space we have! Obviously I'm not expecting the garden of Eden, but crop is looking good so far!