Bad Aphid Year?

He used Marigolds (French?) with his tomatoes.
The Nasturtium don't repel aphids but they are absolute caviare to blackfly. Less so companion planting and more like sacrificial planting.

 

At one time of day you'd see the birds hanging off the plants eating them all up but I think with more people feeding the birds it's stopped them from having to look for food and made it easy for them.I'll still be feeding the birds though...

 

Did I say that? Soapy water as a contact spray will kill aphids...........it will of course miss some which is why you have to keep applying it.

This is laughable. I don't think spraying it on to aphids is going to do me any harm! I do the washing up in it every day......who is talking about drinking it? Only you.

Why are you so aggressive?

 

Teasel is nice for the Goldfinch too as they love the seed.........I generally let a few grow.

 

Hi Redwing

I think the word "aggressive" is a bit harsh of you to describe Pete in that way.

I would prefer the word assertive , we are all talking about Soapy Water for aphids.

Spruce

 

Pete's not aggressive, just straight to the point. He speaks from years of experience and like me has probably found plants that dislike it.

 

Sorry, not trying to be aggressive.
Just putting over my side of the argument.

Perhaps you would prefer it if I just agreed with you, but then we would both be wrong

 

OK, Pete but I didn't even know there was an argument; it was certainly not my intention to start one. I began this thread just to ask if other people were experiencing a bad aphid year, like me. It seems some are and some aren't. I'm not a novice gardener; I've been gardening for over 40 years, vegetables too for the first 25 or so. Now I garden for wildlife, planting mostly native trees and shrubs and wildlife attracting plants such as berrying plants and flowers that attract pollinating insects.......that's what I do but I am missing the ladybirds this year and their hungry larve.

 

Probably used the wrong word, "argument".
Should have said "opinion".

 

I managed to pod a carrier bag full of broad beans off of one lot of beans yesterday and we might get a few more to pick but the next two rows have only a few beans on them which are quiet small and most of the flowers have been covered with blackfly so the bees couldn't get in to do their job.

I am thinking of going back to growing winter broad beans as we don't get the problem from them but knowing my luck we shall get a hard winter and the plants will suffer from either hard frosts or lots of snow.

We can't win whatever we do,but if you notice Monty Don never seems to have all these pest and vermin problems on his veggies