"JennyC" wrote in message
...

My three pronged attack on greenfly :
1) Rub them into another dimension with finger and thumb
2a) Big tough shrubby plants can be hosed down with a strong jet of water
2b) Smaller plants can be tipped upside down and held under the tap to
wash the
beasties of (put the pot in a tightly sealed plastic bag to keep the soil
in
place)
3) Spray with a solution of water / washingup liquid / methelated spirits

Is Potassium Permanganate an accepted chemical in organic circles?

Franz

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message news:...

"JennyC" wrote in message
...

My three pronged attack on greenfly :
1) Rub them into another dimension with finger and thumb
2a) Big tough shrubby plants can be hosed down with a strong jet of
water
2b) Smaller plants can be tipped upside down and held under the tap to
wash the
beasties of (put the pot in a tightly sealed plastic bag to keep the
soil
in
place)
3) Spray with a solution of water / washingup liquid / methelated
spirits

Is Potassium Permanganate an accepted chemical in organic circles?

My mistake. In the UK, meths owes its taste and colour to pyridine and an
unspecified violet dye.
Nevertheless, are these accepted in organic circles?

Franz

On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 16:44:15 +0000, Stephen Howard
wrote:

Best bet is to do a search on Google groups using the author's name or
'email' address.

In Colin's case about 45 posts come up - which is rather more than
"the only posting he has made".

At last, some sanity! Thanks for looking beyond the obvious Steve,
you're a gentleman.

Someone owes someone a pint!

Oh well, might have to be a virtual one....

Colin
-----
(Sorry - no direct email. Please reply via the newsgroup)

Alan Gould6/12/03 6:17

In article , Robert the_devils_advo
writes
*
I know Derris is suggested for organic growers but it is more
deadly than some of the chemicals you can use and is not selective,
i.e. it kills all insects, friends and foes. I wouldn't use it

You are right not to use Derris for the reasons you quote.
It is not 'suggested' for use in organic systems.
My way of dealing with greenfly and other aphids is to use a foliar
application of nettle infusion. There's an urg FAQ on that method at:
http://www.nugget.demon.co.uk/MetaFAQ/nettle.html

We use biological control in the greenhouses here and I know there is a
company that sells the 'good' beasties to the amateur gardener for
greenhouse and conservatory use. A Google search might help those
interested but tomorrow, I'll go out and look at the literature we received
from them. It's not cheap but it does work and sprays become unnecessary,
which is very reassuring where food is concerned.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the 'x' to email me)

In article , Franz Heymann
writes
My three pronged attack on greenfly :
1) Rub them into another dimension with finger and thumb
2a) Big tough shrubby plants can be hosed down with a strong jet of
water
2b) Smaller plants can be tipped upside down and held under the tap to
wash the
beasties of (put the pot in a tightly sealed plastic bag to keep the
soil
in
place)
3) Spray with a solution of water / washingup liquid / methelated
spirits

Is Potassium Permanganate an accepted chemical in organic circles?

My mistake. In the UK, meths owes its taste and colour to pyridine and an
unspecified violet dye.
Nevertheless, are these accepted in organic circles?

I've never used them and I cannot recall ever having seen them
recommended for organic growing. We have a few greenfly now and again,
but they are easy to clear with nettle infusion, so there is no need for
us to use those products on our food plants,
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

In article , Franz Heymann
writes
My three pronged attack on greenfly :
1) Rub them into another dimension with finger and thumb
2a) Big tough shrubby plants can be hosed down with a strong jet of
water
2b) Smaller plants can be tipped upside down and held under the tap to
wash the
beasties of (put the pot in a tightly sealed plastic bag to keep the
soil
in
place)
3) Spray with a solution of water / washingup liquid / methelated
spirits

Is Potassium Permanganate an accepted chemical in organic circles?

My mistake. In the UK, meths owes its taste and colour to pyridine and an
unspecified violet dye.
Nevertheless, are these accepted in organic circles?

I've never used them and I cannot recall ever having seen them
recommended for organic growing. We have a few greenfly now and again,
but they are easy to clear with nettle infusion, so there is no need for
us to use those products on our food plants,
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

In article , Stephen Howard
writes

Someone owes someone a pint!


_, . '__ .
'_(_0o),(__)o().
,o(__),_)o(_)O,(__)o
o(_,-o(_ )(),(__(_)oO)_
.O(__)o,__).(_ )o(_)Oo_)
.----| | | | | |_)0
/ .--| | | | | |,_)
| / | | | | | |o(_)
| | | | | | | |_/`)
| | | | | | | |O_)
| | | | | | | |
| \ | | | | | |
\ '--| | | | | |
'----| | | | | |
| | | | | |
jgs \ \ \ / / /
`"""""""""""""""""`

Enjoy ))

(Courtesy of the Great Ascii Art Library)
--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see

In article ,
Colin Malsingh wrote:
Thanks for the warning about Derris. Since I have tried several times
and failed with Pyrethium-based sprays, I guess I should have taken
note when my aphid infestation was wiped out with a single spray of
Derris.

I am not specifically looking for an organic treatment (though the
warnings of other posters are noted) mainly something that worked. In
the past, putting several basil plants around affected plants did the
trick, but even these got infested this time.

My experience is that soft soap works as well as anything, and it has
the advantage that you can blast the hell out of them without causing
long-term problems. The parasites also work in an enclosed area, like
a conservatory. I haven't seen natural pyrethrum in years, in a form
that is any use, but that also worked. I never found that malathion
and similar things were as effective as they claimed. But the best
cure is sunlight - which is not easy to arrange in the UK :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Soft soap has not worked for me for well when it comes to killing off
the little beasties indoors. Apart from rinsing the leaves under the
tap, a tobacco extract seems to work really well, and seems not to
hurt the plants (peppers and chillis to date, but maybe that's only
because they are distant relatives to the tobacco plant?). And the
chillis I grow are yet to taste of nicotine (or in danger of making
any more addictive than they already are). Tobacco mosaic virus did
infect a few plants early on, but since then, steam treating the
tobacco extract put a stop to that. If you're lucky to have access to
an autoclave at work, that works really well, or a pressure cooker at
home should work just as well (putting the extract in a jar with a
loose fitting lid, stand in water within the pressure cooker, then
apply the steam pressure), or perhaps even by 'pickling', ie putting
the soaking tobacco in a jar, tightening the lid, and immersing in
boiling water for maybe 30mins? Anyway, 3-4 days spraying with the
strained extract kills the bugs off. There's abit of a smell, but it
goes quick, unlike cigarette smoke. No information on which cigarette
brand is best (so no wanton advertising here), except that a donated
pack of chewing tobacco sufficed, regards ewald schroder (currently in
north carolina, usa, home to ALOT of tobacco...and no i don't smoke).