Topic: cabbage fly!

[gixer]

Hello I m new to this forum and also new to Alloments, we took one over in April (very over grown) and we are gradually clearing it and planting stuff, we were given some cabbage plants by a friend and planted them but a fellow allomenteer has told us his cabbages have cabbage fly then looked at ours (that dont seem to be doing much) and he said ours have it too, does any one know how to get rid of it and how to stop it happening again, and if they have had it when can we put some more in that plot?? sorry so many questions in one mail but i'm a bit worried
thanks in advance

[Tiercel]

If its Cabbage root fly, I am afraid there is nothing you can do now, as the damage has been done. If you have a problem with root fly in your area, you can try putting discs of black polythene around the stems of the Cabbage when you plant them out. This is supposed to stop the fly laying its eggs against the stem of the cabbage.
Or you could use an insecticide to prevent the grubs from hatching. Sorry can't help you on the insecticide as I do not use it. But some one will be along that knows which one to use.

If you use the search engine on the site you will come up with a lot of threads and some good advice on this topic try this thread.

[Tee Gee]

I find that when I plant out my brassicas I soak the planting hole with armillatox or jeyes fluid and I am convinced the smell keeps the adult fly away.

I prefer this to the collar system because in fixing a collar you might create another problem........its the ideal cover for slugs& snails.

[gixer]

Thankyou very much for your help, i had heard of the disc method and i think i might give it a try as i am also a not keen on using pestacides (but i might change my mind if this thing gets too bad) :( and from what i am reading i should be able to plant my remaining stock of Brassias in the same plot (please correct me if i m wrong)after burning the old stock. :)
Thanks for the slug tip (under the disc's) i had never thought of that but as the plot is netted i can put slug pellets down and not harm the birds so feel a bit better about that.
thanks again  :)

[Tee Gee]

i am also a not keen on using pestacides

I would just like to clarify that Armillatox & Jeyes fluid are not pesticides they are disinfectants if my memory serves me correctly.

[Jeannine]

You are certainly right Tee Gee, I can still remeber when it was used as a household disinfectant, big splash in the mop bucket,stinks like the dogs home,coal tar, I grew up inhaling the smelly stuff!!!!!  XX Jeannine

[gixer]

I told you i was a novice and that just proves it.

[Tulipa]

I love the smell, reminds me of my Grandma... :)

[gruesome]

I sprinkle Bromophos (is like a pepper dust)around the base of stem as soon as I transplant. Dunno if it is still for sale? i'm using up old stock.

[gixer]

upon further inspection (with others) we can find no evidence of the root fly! but that leaves another problem why are they doing so badly and what is making the little holes in the leaf's, the leaf's are also turning purple and some are white, any help would be very much appreciated

[gruesome]

read my bit on "brassica problem pics" posted by Wilko. Magnesium deficiency.