Hi

has anybody got any advice on how to deal with blackfly on a cherry tree,last year it became absolutey infested, I tried soapy water but it was very ineffectual. At the moment the tree is looking quite healthy but the blackfly are there already. I'm somewhat reluctant to use pesticides as I'm not sure if this will render the fruit inedible or not. All advice is welcome

many thanks

Simon

"Simon" wrote in message
...

Hi

has anybody got any advice on how to deal with blackfly on a cherry
tree,last year it became absolutey infested, I tried soapy water but it
was very ineffectual. At the moment the tree is looking quite healthy
but the blackfly are there already. I'm somewhat reluctant to use
pesticides as I'm not sure if this will render the fruit inedible or
not. All advice is welcome

The usual\traditionl method is to spray the tree during the previous
winter when there's no foliage, using soemthing like tar oil winter wash.
This kills off all\most of the overwintering eggs. I may be mistaken but
I seem to remember reading this has been withrdrawn. Theres a reference
to its use on a BBC website for 2001. If it has been withdrawn I'd imagine
there should be a replacement on the market. Anyway that's the principle
the tree is sprayed over winter. This assumes that the aphids don't
overwinter anywhere else in the garden of course, and care needs
to be taken with other subjects, as its a buff coloured liquid
which won't do much for any winter colour. But it certainly
works in orchards where there's nowhere else for them to go.

The aphid infection is unlikely to actually harm the tree btw. It
simply looks unsightly. I knew a large cherry where the leaves on
every single growing tip by the looks of things were and maybe still
are curled over with aphids every summer. The aphids congregated on
the soft new shoots which they seemed to find more palatable, but this
didn't seem to have affected the growth of the tree.


michael adams

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many thanks

Simon


--
Simon

In article , Simon
wrote:


Hi

has anybody got any advice on how to deal with blackfly on a cherry
tree

How extraordinary. I was about to post exactly the same question.

Lazarus

Without wishing to sound as though I'm on a commission, I'd suggest you try this product www.sbproducts.co.uk as it's one of the few safe products that I've found to effectively control most common aphid species.

Another organic strategy is to encourage ladybirds and lacewings to
overwinter in your garden by providing shelter. That way, they come
out in the spring desperate to breed and do so nest to the aphids,
which are caviar to adults and larvae alike. Check out the Green
Gardener website, not to mention numerous others.

And they look pretty too!

In article .com, Taz
wrote:

Another organic strategy is to encourage ladybirds and lacewings to
overwinter in your garden by providing shelter. That way, they come
out in the spring desperate to breed and do so nest to the aphids,
which are caviar to adults and larvae alike. Check out the Green
Gardener website, not to mention numerous others.

And they look pretty too!

I saw one ladybird on my aphid-infested cherry yesterday, but I am
worried that it has succumbed to indigestion.

Lazarus