squidsin Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 A couple of my broad bean plants have been infested with those tiny black insect things - are they black fly? Is it a soap spray I need to zap them and will any household soap do? Also, there seem to be some ants on the beans too - will they damage the plants and if so, any advice on organic methods of getting rid? Can't really pour boiling water over them! Thanking y'all in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 It probably is blackfly, the ants are there trying to do you a favour by eating the aphids. A spray made with some washing up liquid will help a bit, as will removing the infested tips of the plants and remove the tips of the others too as this will discourage the blackfly. We usually use one of the organically approved bug sprays and wash the plants with a hosepipe with a jet setting too. Some years are worse than others, later crops tend to be less affected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 ants dont eat black fly the 'farm' them for the honey-dew they produce washing up liquid or soft soap is suppost to work or a blast from thr hose pipe I've never had success with either methods it's normally to late to pinch the tops out when I've found the blackfly so I stopped grown broad beans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squidsin Posted May 25, 2010 Author Share Posted May 25, 2010 They're only on a couple of my plants, and not the tips, so I haven't pinched them out. I've tried the soap spray so fingers crossed it works. Can't use the hose as there's a hosepipe ban on the allotments - which makes watering my plot, which I've been doing at least every other day as it's so dry, a bit of a challenge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 We don't have a ban, but we need nearly 300 feet of hosepipe to get to the nearest tap and still be able to water the whole plot, so we only get it out occasionally. We have 3 old baths which we got from a plumber neighbour, these each have a corrugated metal sheet on the top angled so that any rain that falls on them rolls into the baths. We also have one as a waterbutt fed by one shed roof, the other shed roof feeds another butt and we have a further large black barrell that we fill when we have the hose out. Getting enough water on our sandy soil in weather like this is very time consuming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 Pinch out the tops and spray with soapy water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 Another tip is to plant nasturtiums nearby. The blackflies are more attracted to it and will hopefully leave the beans alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 I have just done this to my broadbean plants (pinching out the tips I mean). I just had a look at the BBC gardening site and it says to pinch them out when the first beans appear at the bottom of the plant. I don't have any beans yet. Have I severly stunted the growth of my beans? I hope not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Do they have plenty of flowers? If so they will be fine, and if not they may well shoot from the base. Broad beans either grow as a single stem or they can produce multiple stems too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 No they haven't got any flowers yet. There are producing more than one stem so I shall leave it alone until the first beans arrive and then take off the tips. I was worried they'd just give up. Such a shame as they are looking really healthy and tall, unlike last years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Don't worry there is still plenty of time - they might actually shoot out from the lower part of the stem. I know that is possible as sometimes you can get a second crop from one planting. Mine are looking quite leggy at the moment, but they won't be eaten this year as I need them for seed. I usually save the seed, but I felt they may have crossed as the flowers were not the right colour red last year, so am growing fresh stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 They are, thankfully, looking alright. About 12" tall now with lots of shoots from the bottom. No flowers yet, but they are actually looking really quite healthy. I may have done something right it (currently) seems. Just need to wait and see if they flower and fruit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 We have started with blackfly on our allotment now, which is a pain because we have loads of broad beans this year. Our first crop is about a week away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 My neighbour rubs earth on his broadbean leaves. I'm sure he said it was to cure black fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 That makes sense doesn't it, if you think of Diatom on mites, same principle I should think. I will have a go at that thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mole Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 find some grass land that has lots of ladybirds on it and collect up as many ladybirds as possible and introduce them to your beans. the ladybirds will eat the blackfly but will also lay eggs. the larvae when hatched will eat 300 blackfly a day!! organic way of keeping the blackfly away. make sure you have a patch of nettles left to grow somewhere on your site too as ladybirds are attracted to them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehoarder Posted June 19, 2010 Share Posted June 19, 2010 Pinch out the tops, steam and eat them - they're delicious! (wash off the blackflies first!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
