Fly repellent

chimpysmith

I noticed that my violas in my window boxes were shrivelling, closer inspection was they were covered in green/white fly. I started soaking them in shop bought fly spray and soapy water too. We had a week of torrential rain and I've just looked at them again. Every single one of my pots That were blooming are shrivelled with flies. I never have problems with flies on violas normally, I'm gutted.
Any advice?

sheramber

Use a systemic fly killer regularly as advised on the packet.

chimpysmith

I was out there every day soaking the window boxes in fly killer��

Farway

If you are talking white flies they are notoriously hard to kill now the more toxic chemicals have been withdrawn. A systemic should sort them, but systemics are not instant death, like systemic weedkillers, needs time to work

chimpysmith

I'm so nervous that it's going to spread to the rest of my pots. It's effecting about 70% so far. Just wondering if to bin all of them as spraying them every day doesn't seem to be helping. I hate throwing plants though.

Farway

Are these indoors or greenhouses?
Out in the fresh air normally inhibits them

Alfrescodave

Farway wrote: »

Are these indoors or greenhouses?
Out in the fresh air normally inhibits them

I had a similar problem with whitefly on some peppers I was growing in the conservatory. I managed to move peppers plus containers outside and the insects (especially hover flies) soon removed all the little beggars.

chimpysmith

Unfortunately these are all outside .

Alfrescodave

chimpysmith wrote: »

I'm so nervous that it's going to spread to the rest of my pots. It's effecting about 70% so far. Just wondering if to bin all of them as spraying them every day doesn't seem to be helping. I hate throwing plants though.

I think that if 70% are already infected then I'd be biting the bullet and dump the lot - sometimes Mother Nature wins and we mere mortals have to accept defeat.

You still have time to achieve a good display this year if you restock now - Jersey Plants seem to bombard my inbox every day with offers.

chimpysmith

Thankyou I think you're right. Bit worried they'll come back so think I'll have to dump the flowers and the compost beacause that's got a crust on it that doesn't look good. I'll just get a few new plants but not pansy's. Maybe marigolds or lobelia because they don't seem as interested in those.