Root fly

[KMA]

OK taken a mad turn and going to at least try to grow some cauli this year, collars didn't do a lot of good last time I used them, have them loosely covered in frost mesh for now anything else I can try?

I was looking around a garden centre at the weekend and saw that the 'veg specific' bug killer was just rapeseed oil, would be cheaper just getting some veg oil from a discount store, is this any use?

 

[Little squeak]

are you growing the plants in peat blocks or modules? if so the plants can be treated with dursban if you have any left this is now the only use which still has approval for this chemical (that is if it hasn't been withdrawn for that too) failing that Tracer can be used but if you have to buy half a litre just for your caulis it will work out very dear

 

[renewablejohn]

My chopped off IBC containers with shade netting over effectively keeps out cabbage root fly.

 

[KMA]

Mixed block of seedlings this year just to see if I can grow some of them to a decent size, so just one 12' row planted in a raised bed with some frost fleece over them it's a sort of might as well give it another go kind of thing. No Dursban we only ever grew grass so mostly grassland herbicides most of which have been used up. Did used to have Treflan to spray the swedes until trifuralin got banned. Trying to grow things without sprays except some areas which will get a dose of glyphos up to clean them up a bit.

 

[Chasingmytail]

Options are grow onions around the area. But I havent had root fly with cauli. Butterflies are the biggest problem. I heard on GQT a while back that planting white plastic around the edges (not that high) will prevent low flying problems as these things are very low to the ground.

 

[Breakthru]

Options are grow onions around the area. But I havent had root fly with cauli. Butterflies are the biggest problem. I heard on GQT a while back that planting white plastic around the edges (not that high) will prevent low flying problems as these things are very low to the ground.

Agree on the onions, should maybe try some garlic, not necessarily the one I sell as the smell may put them off. Might work on the caterpillars but ???? never tried

 

[KMA]

Thanks for the ideas, I had heard that carrot root fly are low flyers (under 2') so my beds should be high enough to deter them. Got onions and shallots in the same bed as the brassicas and will deploy the garlic to that area of the garden, handy that they're in trench-like planters this year, I was going to move them anyway. Certainly something to consider when deciding my planting plan next year.