On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 07:54:25 +0000 (UTC), "Mike"
wrote:


"Sally Holmes" wrote in message
. co.uk...

I planted some huge planters with a cottage-gardeny mix of tomatoes,
heartease, pot marigolds, nasturtiums and other stuff.

It's filled the planter, the tomatoes have set and everything's fine,
except
that the marigolds and nasturtiums have got a mega-infestation of
blackfly.
I have little hope of knocking them out using a contact spray as I
couldn't
get to every affected stem: is there a systemic I could use that wouldn't
linger on in the tomatoes?

I reckon the tomatoes are at least 2 - 3 weeks off ripening, so it'll have
time to disperse.

--
Sally Holmes
Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England



Sally on a couple of occasions now when we have had heavy infestations of
blackfly, 'as if by magic' either or both Hoverfly and/or Ladybirds appear
and swipe them out. We were very heavily covered on the Runner Beans, but
overnight, magic:-))

Mike

People do plant marigolds and nasturtiums among things like runner
beans in order to deflect the aphids interest. As Mike says, they may
just go if beneficial insects find them, but could you sacrifice some
of the worst affected, removing plants and aphids in one go?



Pam in Bristol