Greenfly / aphids thrive on the young growing tips of plants.
Symptoms
Greenfly or aphids are tiny insects that can be any shade of green, brown, red or even black. They live in colonies and can be found in either a winged or a wingless form.
First signs of an infestation are often seen in distorted leaf development, especially in the young shoots. Later there may be a sticky secretion on leaf surfaces dropped by aphids from leaves above. This in turn can become black as sooty mould takes over. One or all of these signs can indicate that these pests have taken up residence on your plant. Aphids particularly tend to favour the underside of leaves at compost level and are difficult to spot. Aphid damage causes limp, yellowing leaves which eventually drop off.
Treatment
Spraying with a proprietary insecticide as per the manufacturer's instructions. Regular inspection of growing tips and underneath lowest leaves will pay dividends. Remove all badly damaged or infested leaves. Regular pinching out in the early stages of growth limits problems of leaf distortion.
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