Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi, my courgette plants all have loads of tiny yellow mites?, eggs? around emerging flowers, and on underside of leaves. My spinach also. They do move around but don't know how to deal with. Any ideas, sorry no photo. I'm new here, spent some time reading past posts, very very helpful, I know I'll be asking more of you all. Thanks

hidecote

going to assume they are aphids, thanks,
hidecote

Not sure what your bugs are from the description, but I would say the best thing to do is to just gently rub them off (with a pair of marigolds on if you're a bit squeemish ). Or get a sprayer bottle & squirt them off - most bugs don't like getting squished, or soaked
Have a look round the garden & see if you can find a ladybird & relocate it to where dinner is

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Sarah

“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

Welcome to the Vine Hidecote. I've never seen the yellow things you describe. As Sarzwix suggests, try squishing them and see how it goes.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Hello,Hidecote, welcome to the forum. As you say, sounds like a type of Aphid but hard to tell from your description. This link might be of help to you:

BBC - Gardening - Pest and Disease Identifier

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http://www.weltaf.co.uk/
Why keep a dog when you can bark yourself !

oh thanks for that. Looking today there are some turned into flies, so going to do the fairy liquid 'hustle', don't know if ladybirds will eat these. Just been outside, blowing a gale here just outside Blackpool, but I have fledgling blue tits screaming for mum and dad, getting blown about, oh babies! All I can do is keep my 2 cats in, well they can cross there legs for a time eh! (they have litters) yeah I know this isn't gyo but it's nature.
regards
hidecote

Hi, So my courgette plants are fine, thanks for advice again. All 3 plants are flowering well, however I have loads of male flowers, one plant in particular is mostly male. Should I take the male shoots off, or am I not being patience and letting insects do their job. I'm trying to be patience with my potatoes, flowers have appeared at last so I think I wait a couple of weeks before lifting. If they are in the ground too long will I ruin them. They are charlottes, planted around May 10 in a large compost bag.
Ta

Hidecote
Your courgette plants will be fine - no need to remove the male flowers.
Your Charlotte pots wil be fine too - they will just get a bit bigger - I suppose eventually they will rot but that would be a long way down the line. One thing to remember though is that the longer they are in the more at risk to blight attack they are.

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday 17th September

Hidecote, your Charlotte want about 13 weeks from planting - so be patient with them. I ate the first of mine tonight. Have already eaten other second earlies - but nothing beats Charlotte. It's the only potato I'm growing next year.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Thanks again. I maybe got my plant date wrong, so I have today harvested my potatoes. Now I understand! what a feeling. I've got a big dish of perfect charlottes, just a nice size and some little ones. The plants I can see have loads more still growing. I know this isn't the thing to do but I carefully popped plants back into growing bag and covered with more compost. Good to know you're all there. cheers hidecote