getting ready for the BUGS!!!

stumpycat

Thanks for the advice - my poor gooseberry leaves have disappeared so quickly in the past I hadn't even spotted the larvae!
I've already cut the bush into a bowl shape and it's nice & open, I've 4 or 5 young plants that I don't want to cut into too much, but I'll take the central branch out. I'll give them a good dusting with diatomaceous earth - the chookies dust-bathe in that area, so it'll treat 2 birds with one stone. My son can be bribed to pick off any larvae and I'll feed them to the chickens - sorted!

Lotus-eater

cubegame wrote: »

Shed full of bifenthrin...

Out of interest, what insects do you use this on?

stumpycat

cubegame wrote: »

Shed full of bifenthrin....

Well, let's hope cubegame's female... or they may be heading that way soon:
http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-WSDL200605009.htm

Lotus-eater

stumpycat wrote: »

Well, let's hope cubegame's female... or they may be heading that way soon:
http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-WSDL200605009.htm

Oh come on, everyone knows the EU banned it just to annoy A.Badger and friends. Nothing to do with the bees, birds, waterlife and possible mammal problems.

Nothing at all. As old brock would say, damn hippies, stopping us hurting ourselves and the environment.

officeguru

I would appreciate some advice here, fellow gardeners...

I washed down my greenhouse with Jeyes fluid (Don't know if it is banned as I have enough to see me until I am boxed) and then I have gradually filled up my greenhouse with all my little seedlings... some sent for - most grown from seed..

I was taking some more transplanted seedlings into it today and I spotted some greenfly on some of the little tomato seedlings.. They are only small, between 4 & 6 leaves... healthy... but I don't fancy spraying them so young (I usually use the yellow cards).. Should I hang them up above the little plants or is there something you would recommend I spray them with? Or would it be enough to pick them off ? I don't know if my eyesight would be good enough ...

I remember the time, when I used to blast everything with some sort of chemical... (I used to be dowsed in the stuff before I finished.. who cared if it was windy or not or if you breathed the stuff deep into the lungs... Thankfully, these days are long gone !!!)

[Deleted User]

me too officeguru, that was in the old days and I know better now

what about a tiny bit of washing up liquid in water and using a gentle kitchen sprayer

I`m not ready for cabbage whites and I saw 2 today, arghhh I thought we had another 3 weeks or so

mrbadexample

stumpycat wrote: »

Is there anything particularly good for preventing gooseberry sawfly attacks? My poor bush literally disappeared in a couple of days last year. :eek:

Provado Ultimate Bug Killer. In the yellow bottle.

I don't like using chemicals, but there is a line. Sawfly are way, way over it.

Sambucus_Nigra

officeguru wrote: »

I would appreciate some advice here, fellow gardeners...

I washed down my greenhouse with Jeyes fluid (Don't know if it is banned as I have enough to see me until I am boxed) and then I have gradually filled up my greenhouse with all my little seedlings... some sent for - most grown from seed..

I was taking some more transplanted seedlings into it today and I spotted some greenfly on some of the little tomato seedlings.. They are only small, between 4 & 6 leaves... healthy... but I don't fancy spraying them so young (I usually use the yellow cards).. Should I hang them up above the little plants or is there something you would recommend I spray them with? Or would it be enough to pick them off ? I don't know if my eyesight would be good enough ...

I remember the time, when I used to blast everything with some sort of chemical... (I used to be dowsed in the stuff before I finished.. who cared if it was windy or not or if you breathed the stuff deep into the lungs... Thankfully, these days are long gone !!!)

Go find a ladybird or two and pop them in your greenhouse.

I've got every surface covered with seedlings in mine, not one greenfly to be found. Because I let the insects come in and furtle for their lunch.

Unfortunately, your jeyes fluid may well have killed any overwintering ladybirds that would have already had them by now.

cootambear

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Oh come on, everyone knows the EU banned it just to annoy A.Badger and friends. Nothing to do with the bees, birds, waterlife and possible mammal problems.

Nothing at all. As old brock would say, damn hippies, stopping us hurting ourselves and the environment.

Nothing to do with the disproportionate weight of the Green industry then?

cootambear

Lotus-eater wrote: »

That doesn't stop it. There are various organic methods out there on the net. I find letting wasp nests remain in the garden (oh boy, lets have another massive argument about that shall we :rotfl:), where they don't hurt you, helps, because they eat the caterpillars.

Other than that, picking by hand is the best natural way, but time consuming.

nothing natural about that, unless you are a protein starved tribesman who wants to eat em.