Home-made spray for blackfly

Heartinthedirt

Not sure if I read it on here or if I'm just making it up - horticultural soap and neem oil for blackfly? Does horticultural soap actually exist, or does washing up liquid do the job? Can't deal with all that wiping off by hand, can't even squish greenfly, makes me heave 🤢. Plus they're on the underside of my Rheum Palmatum and a pain in the a*** to get at. 

msqingxiao

I add baking soda and wash up liquid to water to make the spray. And use a toothbrush to brush off the aphids. And water hose to blast it. Worked for my Fatsia.

StephenSouthwest

I find a pump up water spray, just with water, works really well to get rid of blackfly - just lift the leaves and blast away - I usually have to do it 2, maybe 3 times in a season.

But check for ladybird larvae first - they will often do the job for you.

wild edges

There's some good info on soap sprays here https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/insecticidal-soaps-for-garden-pest-control/

The main things to be aware of are that you use the right type of soap and don't use it on plants that are very sensitive to soap sprays. Of course if they're doing little long-term damage to the plant then you're better off leaving them be and natural predators will benefit from them and this in turn boosts the predator population and reduces future infestations of pests.

GardenerSuze

@wild edges I try hard not to squish them as it is food for other things.  When the white shells appear you are winning. As leaves get tougher they are also less prone. I do remove them from hellebores but found that removing the old flowers cut back the population. I grow alot of hellbores and I was concerned about virus?