In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:

We got no apples this year, because of catastrophic woolly aphid.

Crumbs! How did they manage that? Last year was so good for apples that
the trees were in danger of fracturing branches with the sheer weight of
fruit. You can control but not eliminate woolly aphid on apple trees
with a stiff brush dipped in meths (wear eye protection).

It is in the cracks that they lurk and keep open wounds on the tree. But
even on my parents where woolly aphid is completely out of control I
have never known them prevent an established tree from fruiting.

Sorry - my error - it is rosy apple aphid. 90% of the leaf clusters
and all of the fruit ones were infested, and the former were curled
up beyond hope.

I have lesser but similar problems with a grey aphid on currants.
The problem is that the infestation causes immediate and severe
enclosure by the distorted leaves, so contact insectides will not
work. I also have chestnut scale on one vine.

Meths will get that too (maybe if you are feeling dodgy with a trace of
unlicensed use tobacco nicotine in it but wear rubber gloves!)

Yes, but it won't help with the real problems on the apple and
currents, because the leaf clusters are too tight.

Now, the traditional solution is a tar oil winter wash, but the UK
has banned that for domestic use. There are some organic replacements,
but they don't look at all effective, and I don't want to harm the
plants by using strong disinfectants (e.g. Armillatox or Jeyes'
Fluid) in the absence of advice.

So what would people recommend?

Tar oil winter wash using the modern Jeyes fluid formulation.
(will kill anything green it touches - pretty much is a refined version
of tar oil but lacking some of the more carcinogenic components).

Thanks, but how do you use it? I.e. what dilution and on what?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.