FRUITY BUSINESS

Yet again as the weather is warming up, we have been overrun with fruit flies from the compost bin. I think that I have sorted the problem out by incorporating ripped up newspaper and layers of grass clippings to the pile. This is drying out the mush and making it less hospitable for the pests. They do not really cause any damage to anything - they are just so irritating. As soon as the lid is lifted off they swarm straight into the house and spend the rest of their lives either resting on the fruit bowl or flying around your head. Some people have actually put sticky flytraps into the compost bin, but I think that is going a bit far. Keeping the compost dry and covering it with paper should do the trick.




WORSE OFFENDERS
There are far more pests in the garden that will need your attention more that the fruit fly. As the weather warms up, and spring moves into summer, the garden becomes a real battleground, with pests attacking flowers, fruits and vegetables as soon as your back is turned. Be on the lookout for the first signs of attack, picking off any pests found or mixing up the soapy spray for greenfly. Weigh up the pros and cons of leaving plants to look after themselves and putting up with some damage, or applying regular preventive sprays to stop pests taking hold. Sawfly caterpillars almost always attack gooseberries and a preventive spray will stop leaves being eaten away to their skeletons. Broccoli on the other hand, has the opportunity to revitalise itself in the following spring, even if some leaves get eaten. If you really do not want to use chemical sprays in the garden then place the vegetables carefully. You can avoid a carrot fly infestation by planting them in a raised container. The flies can only reach a height of about 90cm so the carrots would be safe. The other safeguard against pests is to practice companion planting. Onions and garlic next to vegetables can confuse pests and flowers such as calendulas attract greenfly from other more vulnerable crops.

Horticultural.