Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: booklady on February 11, 2019, 02:53
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Last year, I had an infestation of flea beetle on cabbages, broccoli, radishes, rocket etc. I've read about using a lightweight fleece. But, how does that work? I've read that the beetles are in the soil from probably compost laid down on the bed, and so to my mind, putting a fleece on top of the young transplanted seedlings is only going to trap the flea beetles in there!
I also had onion leaf miner and found all my leeks and one complete bed of white onions, from sets, were infested, whereas the yellow and red onions are fine, so far.
Can anyone tell me if the fleece works, and if so, how to use it effectively - I don't want to lose any more veg - first time I've ever had problems.
TIA
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Check out the RHS site for recommendations, https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=510
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From practical experience, fleece doesn't work against flea beetle! They treat the warm space as a holiday camp! I'm still looking for what does ...
For onion fly, allium miner, leek moth - I had a very successful year last year (after a mega disaster with allium miner) with very fine onion netting over the onions, shallots and leeks. But it has to be very fine, 0.8mm is recommended by the RHS, so it isn't cheap.
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From practical experience, fleece doesn't work against flea beetle! They treat the warm space as a holiday camp! I'm still looking for what does ...
For onion fly, allium miner, leek moth - I had a very successful year last year (after a mega disaster with allium miner) with very fine onion netting over the onions, shallots and leeks. But it has to be very fine, 0.8mm is recommended by the RHS, so it isn't cheap.
Im guessing with mesh that fine, rainwater doesn't get through? Whats the deal with watering?
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Rain still does get through, no problem ;)
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Rain still does get through, no problem ;)
She's right! And when I feed, I just water it in over the netting. Weeding is a pain ... picking times when the flies aren't in the air as much to reduce the risk and getting on with it fast. (early and in the rain are best :()