[yummy]

I have some lovely cavolo nero growing and picked my first leaves today. The undersides are plastered with dead white flies. I have tried giving it a good wash but it is not edible.

Can anyone tell me how to get rid of the flies so that the leaves that grow from this point onwards stand a chance of being clean/edible?

Thanks

[gobs]

Fleece. Otherwise salty water or if you are sqeamish, don't grow wrinkled leaved stuff.

[yummy]

Guess I will have to use the salty water cos I don't guess fleece won't get rid of the existing flies will it.

(It wasn't me being squeamish by the way - twas my boyfriend)

[gobs]

Yes.

[SnooziSuzi]

Y'know... after several glasses of Pinot Grigio I read this title as 'how to keep my wife off my caverlo nero' thinking that caverlo nero was a white wine  :drunken:  :roll:  

[gobs]

White? :shock:      

[SnooziSuzi]

I said I was p*ssed didn't I !!??   (now that I'm not so drunk I realised that Nero is black  :roll: )

[Sharonx]

I am having the same problem! So all those stuck on the leaves are dead? I thought they were eggs  :oops: Did wonder why they were the same size as the fly itself  :roll: Will go and give them a good wash with the salt then. I did try spraying with soapy water but hasn't made any difference.

I am finding that all the lower leaves are the ones with problems, most of the new curled up leaves are ok and nothing a good wash hasn't sorted. I had some for tea the other night saulted in garlic butter with pancetta, was delicious!

[yummy]

Maybe they are eggs. I don't know. They just look a bit fly shaped. If those are eggs then I'm doomed cos there are literally thousands of them.

Will have a look at the newer leaves next time and see if they are better then - thanks.

[SnooziSuzi]

I had a real problem with whitefly on all of my brassicas last year but not so this year.  Only difference this year is that I have planted smelly plants alongside; some african marigolds and pot chrysanths.  They really pong when you rub past them and I think it's confusing the whitefly.

Didn't work with the carrot fly though  :roll:

[Ice]

If you are not organic a quick squirt of Bug Away sorts them out.  I use it but don't eat the cavolo nero for a few days then wash it very carefully in my friends sink under running water as I have water meter.

Kills them dead.

[strangerachael]

I have almost more marigolds on my plot than anything else this year, but my p.s.brocolli is still covered in whitefly  :?  What concentration of salt should I use? Too much would damage the plant surely? What effect does the salty water have on the flies/eggs?

[noshed]

Enviromesh is very good - a bit late now though.

[yummy]

I have had a look and yes they are only on the older leaves at the bottom of the plant. The younger leaves are fine.