K wrote:
"Cat(h)" writes
I have an outsize old belfast sink type of a trough outside the house,
which I fill with flowers summer and winter. It is surrounded by all
manners of other pots of petunias, geraniums and other such, all of
which now thriving.
However, everything in my trough is being sucked dry - or so it seems -
by the tiniest of beasties. They are much smaller than green flies,
and so far as I can tell not winged. They are a very very pale shade of
greeny white, and look like dandruff on the plants. They are
particularly keen on the pansies - a leftover from winter, which are
doing quite well in another pot - which are the majority tennant in the
trough.
I intend to empty the trough and get rid of all the soil - which hasn't
been changed in too long - and destroy all the vegetation before the
beasties spread to other pots. I'm assuming this is the only way
forward.
Has anyone any idea as to what the beasties might be?

There are a lot of different species of aphid (greenfly) and within each
species there are both winged and unwinged forms. Since they spend most
of their time stationary absorbing plant sap, it's only when there is a
need for the population to migrate that any flying is needed, so most of
them don't need wings.

I'd have thought a good wash with water with a tiny bit of washing up
liquid wouldn't go amiss.
--

Thanks - I take note for future reference. I used an organic
insecticide, which when sprayed does feel exactly like it (very dilute
washing up liquid). Busy week end, so didn't have time to empty out
trough as planned. Only surviving plant as of this morning is a
delightful little thing I bought at my local B&Q, sold as a mini-
petunia, the most fabulous red coloured flowers. The only common point
I can see with petunia is the shape of the flower. Not sure what the
proper name of that plant is - as the rather feckless gardener that I
am, I didn't keep the label.

Cat(h)