Broad Beans & Blackfly, to spray or not to spray?

[gojiberry]

I have a few plants with blackfly on but they don't appear to be spreading and I can live with loosing a few plants. I know you are all going to say they will soon spread, but the fly has been there over two weeks now and has not spread. I am so reluctant to spray as there are a lot of ladybirds about (may be why the fly are not spreading). A lot of the beans are ready for harvesting so wont be a problem for much longer.

Ian

[LolaLou]

By the looks of it, that just seems to be soft soap already made up. If you buy it undiluted it will be much cheaper.

Ah ha! Always the way. I'm not very good with these sorts of things as I try not to spray as a general rule but this really was a last resort! Any idea where I can get the soft soap from in future?

[womble]

You can get it most places now.

[Caro]

I inspected my (crimson flowered) broad beans yesterday. I couldn't see any actual blackfly, although some new shoots seem to be peforated with black-ringed holes. So I pinched those tips, although I'm worried that I'll now get a very small harvest

How many flowers/beans would be normal per plant? (If that isn't a hugely dumb piece of string question)

[Two_Sheds]

Gosh Caro, it depends on so many variables.
I've only had 2-6 pods on my Violetta this year, much more on my mongrels (my own cross of Aquedulce, Crimson Flowered and Witkiem Manita that I just save every year)

You'll get more with warm weather; plenty of rain; few weeds; nutritious soil.