[jazzbyrd]

 

My brussel sprouts are covered in whitefly and what also looks like black soot. Are they okay to eat..the sprouts I mean?

Jazz

[SkipRat]

The soot is mould from the whitefly, they are ok to eat, just peel a few outer leaves off first. If you can get hold of some natural soap and dissolve it in water (1-2%) solution I also put a spoon full of rapeseed oil in and use a hand blender to emusify it, then spray your whitefly every 10 days or so this will make the WF managable. I have sprayed this year using the same method and whitefly while not fully eradicated is not a problem anymore and the sprouts are turning back green again.

[boldondig]

I have had a lot of whitefly this year - sprayed them with SB but unless I did it almost daily they returned. I went on holiday for a week and when I came back the sprouts were well and truely infested. Black sooty mold has ensued. I do not want to spray with chemicals so I think I lost the battle this year ..... Next year I am going to either use a mesh or some some sort of companion planting? 

[ermck1]

My pet whitefly have had a bashing fron a couple of frosts
Fingers crossed for sprouts for Christmas
M

[goose]

The soot is mould from the whitefly, they are ok to eat, just peel a few outer leaves off first. If you can get hold of some natural soap and dissolve it in water (1-2%) solution I also put a spoon full of rapeseed oil in and use a hand blender to emusify it, then spray your whitefly every 10 days or so this will make the WF managable. I have sprayed this year using the same method and whitefly while not fully eradicated is not a problem anymore and the sprouts are turning back green again.

that an interesting tip, thanks.  i will try that next year as my sprouts are always affected.  out of interest, when you say natural soap, can you recommend one?

[rowlandwells]

 your not the only ones with an infestation of white fly i though it may be that i planted the sprout to close not allowing enough air to circulate round the plant because they are a bit close settings  

i  thought of making some white fly catchers like the ones used in the greenhouse its one of those yellow square sticky back things that catches most insects of cause it needs to keep sticky outside to do any good  

maybe one could use the old fashioned fly catcher the one that hangs from the celling but i don't know if it would attract white fly like it does house flies i suppose spraying is an only option  

[azubah]

Mine have bad whitefly too, and I have stripped off most of the leaves.
It was like being in a blizzard.
Since I have taken most of the tops off they don't have many leaves left on, but there are plenty of sprouts.
I'm hoping that the rain which we have been promised for tomorrow will get rid of the remaining whitefly.

[goose]

your not the only ones with an infestation of white fly i though it may be that i planted the sprout to close not allowing enough air to circulate round the plant because they are a bit close settings  

i  thought of making some white fly catchers like the ones used in the greenhouse its one of those yellow square sticky back things that catches most insects of cause it needs to keep sticky outside to do any good  

maybe one could use the old fashioned fly catcher the one that hangs from the celling but i don't know if it would attract white fly like it does house flies i suppose spraying is an only option  

earlier this summer i tried the old type fly paper tapes (4 of them in my cage with 3 sprout plants)...i was worried about trapping 'friendly bugs' but after close examination, it is mainly blackfly type things and some whitefly, however, for every whitefly on my sticky strips, i have 100's on my sprouts  , so much for that idea

i did spray with bug spray earlier in the year but it only helped for about 2 weeks and they were back in force before i knew it.  I will definately be trying the soap/rapeseed method next year to see if there is an improvement.

i just need to get my hands on some of that natural soap

[Carollan]

It was no joy digging today in a cloud of a neighbours whitefly.....his sprout plants have heavy black sooty mould,he will lose a few plants....I need a mask!!

[shokkyy]

I've kidnapped every ladybird in the garden (and there's lots about at the moment) and relocated them to my sprouts and cabbages. Fingers crossed

[stompy]

Will the frosts not kill them off now?

[shokkyy]

Will the frosts not kill them off now?

I think they hibernate, don't they? But in any event, they've got time to chomp up a few whitefly before the weather gets too cold.

[stompy]

I think they hibernate, don't they

  I meant the white fly. 

[Nikkithefoot]

I planted marigolds with some of my brassicas as an experiment for companion planting. Those brassicas that had the marigold companions were much less affected by whitefly than those planted without. Whitefly was still present, but no sooty stuff on the plants and no clouds of flys either.

Will certainly plant more marigolds next year.

[azubah]

I planted marigolds with some of my brassicas as an experiment for companion planting. Those brassicas that had the marigold companions were much less affected by whitefly than those planted without. Whitefly was still present, but no sooty stuff on the plants and no clouds of flys either.

Will certainly plant more marigolds next year.

Which type of marigolds, Nikki?