[Ian_P]

OK here's what's happening.

My broad beans are up and in full flower, but the bottom flowers have not started to set yet. So I was waiting before I pinched them out.

Now the black fly have landed, then the ants are following the black fly, and they are strating to look a mess.  

I have sprayed some environmentally friendly (unless you are a bug!) bug stuff on, but it doesn't seem to have had any effect.

Many years ago I remember my grandfather spraying, I think, soapy water on his beans.

Any thoughts about what more I can do.

Anyone got a supply of Asian Orange?  :twisted:

[Jake]

I think you have revealed I'm doing something wrong. My broad beans are quite short and other peoples are at least a foot taller.

Is this because I didn't pinch out the bottom flowers? I hadn't read about doing that.

[lentil987]

I have the same problem with black fly everywhere - on the broad beans, on the cabbages and the broccoli and the cauliflower. I am doing the same as you with the organic spray stuff but its doing very little.

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi everyone, my problem isn't blackfly (yet), but although my dwarf broad beans look fab, I haven't pinched out any growing tips yet and although there are loads of flowers, as they fall there is no tiny pod behind it.  I gave them a light spray tonight with water, but is that the problem or something else???  Any help greatly appreciated

[comic_muse]

There are tall varieties of Broad Beans & short I have a tall(ish) variety planted 6 weeks apart, ie. different growing condition, the latter sowing is at least 6 inches taller than the first.  It makes sense to pinch out the tips before the black fly appear....they'll still get you, but arguably, not as bad.  You pinch out the growing tip, not the flowers !  To be honest, there are so many flowers on a reasonably grown plant that you don't need to worry about trusses (?) all the way up, the plant would struggle to fill the pods in this dry weather, which is why they tend to be an early veg.  Soft Soap solutions are the traditional remedy but it's debatable how effective they are.  Although they are unsightly & do sicken the plant they're probably not that much of an issue to the bean inside the pod, I'd just get the tips out if not done asap.....take the tip down a bit if needs be to clean the plants up, if they're carrying plenty of flower lower down.  Not sure why they're not setting....may....despite the rain be too dry....spraying would be my answer too.

[GrannieAnnie]

Thanks muse, I'll keep spraying, even though OH keeps telling me not to over water!!!  I can't win, whatever I do is wrong in his eyes, doesn't say anything when he's eating the stuff though!!!! lol

[noshed]

Mine have overwintered - I don't know what variety they are, I've inherited them. I've just snipped out the bits with blackfly on. There seems to be plenty of pods, although the beans are still quite small. I should have supported them a bit better really but they seem to be doing OK.

[John]

Unless the blackfly get really bad, I don't worry about them. Hopefully the ladybirds will catch up with the feast and eat them up.
This year my beans look pretty poor, which is a shame as we love broad beans and normally mine are really good although I don't do anything special with them.

[yewtreemob]

Yes my beans are not as good this year.  I've got both sutton dwarf and express.  The express were 24" high last year at this time but they are half that size this year.  They have overwintered so I don't think it's sowing date that makes the difference.  Cold wet spring followed by moderate bake at 26 degree C is not their preferred environment I suspect.

[twhincup]

I have blackfly on my b/beans but not too bnothered as there's loads of lady birds    I also  have 5 or six dwarf bean plants, can any one give me a good idea were i can 'intercrop' these??

[jingerpot]

Hi again.

I pinched a great tip from 'The Big Dig'   an organic gardener said nicotine water did the trick.  Boil some rolling tobbacco or a large cigar broken up in about a litre of water, strain it and spray the plants as you see live fly on the plants.  She said "Boil the hell out of it" I did it for 15 mins and it seems to be working on mine ok.  You have to spray about once a week.  Cant think of a better use for tobacco can you?

[noshed]

My rhurbarb has got blackfly, which is a bit weird since rhubarb leaves are supposed to be one of the potions which kill them. I hope I'm not breeding a whole new pesticide-resistant variety!
They don't seem to be doing any harm anyway.

[mellowmick]

Cant think of a better use for tobacco can you?

Yes; I'll smoke it, then send you back the nippers, which you can boil away to your heart's content!

[John]

Cant think of a better use for tobacco can you?

Yes; I'll smoke it, then send you back the nippers, which you can boil away to your heart's content!

Man after my own heart, you are
Beware though - the nicotine insecticide will kill friend as well as foe and the solution is very poisonous. If you bottle it, keep it away from kiddies, I imagine it tastes awful but little ones have been known to drink bleach.
Oh, nearly forgot - it's illegal to use it as well under European law.

[hermon]

lady bird larvae are fantastic, i had blackfly on a bean can and sasw 2 larvae feasting on them , the next day they were all gone! what strange little things they are they look like mini lizards!