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Best way to get rid of green/black fly

Jenny_AsterJenny_Aster Posts: 945
in Problem solving
Three out of my 5 roses keep getting re-infected with greenfly. I normally knock the green fly off using water from the hosepipe with knozzle on 'jet'. But I'm not totally happy as the soil is wetter than I'd like, so I don't want to add to the problem. 

I've just made a batch of rhubarb spray (3 chopped rhubarb leaves, boiled in a couple pints of water, then simmered for 20 mins). It appears to work, but I'm a bit worried about it killing other friendly insects, such as those that prey on greenfly.

Just wondering what do other rose growers use? Is their such a thing as an eco friendly green / black fly killer? Last year my dahlias suffered badly from blackfly. Funnily enough, so did the rhubarb suffer from blackfly - isn't that a paradox?
Trying to be the person my dog thinks I am! 

Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.

Posts

  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    I'd have recommended what you did, Jenny.  There are those who don't like the idea of spraying rhubarb liquid on FOOD items, but flowers should be OK.
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    Is there any way to attract small birds to the garden? I noticed a bluetit hoovering up the aphids on my roses on Sunday. Bit early for ladybirds here but they are the best creature for aphid removal, and once they arrive you need a few aphids to feed them and keep them around. The only thing I might do if plants seem really infested is rub them off with my fingers occasionally. Just off the tender shoots and buds. 
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    Why is boiled rhubarb OK, but there would be screams of anguish if I suggested oxalic acid at a known dilution?

    I use finger and thumb.  But I only have non-thorny roses.

    I use dilute soft soap solution as a localised and well-directed spray on my camellias, it leaves the shepherding ants unaffected.

    You will never "get rid" of aphids, but you can "reduce".
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    I have no evidence but my logic is that if a spray kills an unwanted insect it must surely affect others as well, whether it’s man made in a factory or a homemade recipe?

    I just accept greenfly and blackfly as part of the natural environment. Ours usually get hoovered up by blue tits and ladybirds. I’m sure there are also others who help but are less obvious or pretty, I believe Earwigs also eat aphids. 

    I think the hardest part is waiting until the predators arrive and deal with the pest 🙄 so I do sometimes rub greenfly off the rosebuds but try not to remove them all so I still get the predators in.




     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I sat on my hands last year and did nothing - not even aphid fondling. The birds had the lot. 
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    OH has just reminded me that we had a lupin smothered in blackfly last year which looked dreadful but we had a lot of entertainment watching some blue tit fledglings hoovering them up. 
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    So far we are pretty lucky with our Norfolk garden. We have masses of ladybirds and they are all waking up.

    I used to spray with soap solution or squeezing them off.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • Jenny_AsterJenny_Aster Posts: 945
    edited April 2023
    Can confirm the rhubarb concoction does work. 

    My garden's is in it's 2nd year, and although I've planted a few trees, they're not big enough to provide a protective shelter so unfortunately the birds don't visit. They came for a short while last spring (sparrows, blue tits, starlings) when next door's sycamore was in leaf. I've wasted no end of bird food over the winter trying to attract them, the only birds that's been attracted are the pigeons, I don't mind one or two but they started bringing their extended family to dine, so I stopped feeding them. At the moment there's one untouched fat ball hanging on the feeding station, it was put their a couple of days ago when I spotted a starling having a look around, if it gets eaten I'll put up more bird feed.

    I have been thinking about buying lacewings or ladybird larvae but they're mega expensive. Think it might be a good exercise for me to research building a few bug hotels, if I build them the bugs might feel welcome, to quote either Noah or Kevin Costner "Build it and they'll come!"

    Thanks for your advice all, interesting how you solve your black/green fly problem.
    Trying to be the person my dog thinks I am! 

    Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    The best way to attract aphid-eating birds. is aphids.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • Jenny_AsterJenny_Aster Posts: 945
    bédé said:
    The best way to attract aphid-eating birds. is aphids.
    Bit like the conundrum; what came first the chicken or the egg. I need to get the youngish plants healthy and growing, and the aphids are not helping. 
    Trying to be the person my dog thinks I am! 

    Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
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