Re: Aphids and soapy spray

On Mon, 12 May 2008 17:08:42 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
<mary.fisher@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

>
>"Martin Brown" <|||newspam|||@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
>news:6f21e$482865f5$23432@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>> Simplest cheap one is probably as good as any. The fat based soft soaps

>> are supposed to be better at gungin up insect breathing holes.
>
>You could spray thin cooking oil, that would impede their respiration.
>
>Mary
>
Many of the 'green' insecticides available are little more than that,
except that they emulsify the oil to give a thick white gloop that you
dilute. I'm sure if you took a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil of
your choice, added a few drops of soap of your choice and whizzed the
mix well in a pint of water in a liquidiser, you'd get the same thing
for a fraction of the cost. That's assuming it didn't just fill the
kitchen with froth!

But don't use them indoors or in a conservatory, even the commercial
ones. They put an oily film everywhere that takes a lot of cleaning
up. BTDTGTTS :-(

-- 
 
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net