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Blackfly on Elder - Again!

annhayes2008annhayes2008 Posts: 4
in Problem solving
I've joined GW.com to see if anyone can suggest anything I can do to help the blackfly infested elder in my small garden. I first noticed an infestation about three years ago which stopped me using the flowers but didn't much affect the tree. It has been clean for the last couple of years then the black invasion returned in early May. I tried to keep on top of it by scraping off but it soon became impossible to control. It may be because of the hot dry recent weather but the fly has completely covered the tree now which is about 15 feet tall. The leaves have started to drop and everything underneath is covered is sticky honeydew and dead leaves. Whenever I go down the garden I come back with sticky hair! I'm starting to cut the lower thinner branches off now to give the garden underneath some relief. If I ask a tree surgeon to cut my elder back to half it's height will it survive to next year. Elders in hedges around here seem to thrive on being hacked back by farm machinery!

Oddly there is a small elder growing from the base of an empty building just the other side of my hedge which is completely clean! I'm sneaking in to cut the flowers for my cordial!!!

Posts

  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    My only cure for aphids in general is to spray them with the cooled liquid from boiled rhubarb leaves, BUT they've obviously got to be reachable!  
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    Elders will be fine cut back hard. The problem is the aphids like the new lush growth.
    You could always do a rain dance? As the season progresses the problem should improve as the leaves are not as soft and tasty to aphids.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • DaveGreigDaveGreig Posts: 189
    You aren’t feeding it are you? Elders don’t need any fertiliser and will grow green soft growth, considered delicious by blackfly and other creatures if given any.
  • annhayes2008annhayes2008 Posts: 4
    Thank you everyone for your helpful comments. I think I've got to give up on the tree for this year. There's hardly a leaf or flower that's not covered now and I really feel sorry for it as its still putting out little green flowerheads here and there. I will make sure it is cut back to a size I can keep under control for next year, make some rhubard spray, keep picking up the dead leaves, and who knows, it might be a blackfly-free 2024!

    PS And no I've never fed it Dave - its one of those garden inhabitants that arrived free and au gratis on the wind. Its about 20 years old now and not a good shape so giving it a chop back might well be the making of it for another 20 years! :smiley:
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    What are you wanting from the elder? We take flowers in May/June to make wine and leave enough for the berries later on. We have never had issues with aphids and hope we dont.
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    Have you tried hosing them off? You could try that every few days.
    If you have a pack sprayer, you can spray the tree with dilute peppermint or thyme essential oil, they're supposed to deter blackfly - I haven't tried them.
  • annhayes2008annhayes2008 Posts: 4
    bertrand-mabel said:
    What are you wanting from the elder? We take flowers in May/June to make wine and leave enough for the berries later on. We have never had issues with aphids and hope we dont.

    Yes, I've been making Elderflower and Spiced Elderberry cordials for over 20 years and 3 years ago was the first time I wasn't able to use my tree. Thankfully the flowers are abundant around here this year so I won't have to forego my favourite summer and winter drinks. Its just such a shame for the tree and garden plants underneath it. They look dreadful. Yes, I hope you never get the infestation.
  • annhayes2008annhayes2008 Posts: 4
    Slow-worm said:
    Have you tried hosing them off? You could try that every few days.
    If you have a pack sprayer, you can spray the tree with dilute peppermint or thyme essential oil, they're supposed to deter blackfly - I haven't tried them.

    Thank you for this Slow-worm. Its too late for my tree this year but I'll do a bit of an experiment on a branch I think to see if it has any effect and in readiness for next year. :)
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