Root Maggot

[imtnt]

Last year, I had root maggots show up in my radishes. I searched the web, but it sounded pretty dismal on getting rid of them. Any suggestions on preventing them this year?

Thanks.

T

[CountryKitty]

I recently saw somewhere that a variety of radish called 'Reggae' was resistant to both flea beetles and root maggots. Don't remember where I saw it, but you might try googling it. (OK, I'm a bit organic, I go with resistant rather than remedies.)

[imtnt]

Thanks for the info on 'Reggae'. I'm on the lookout for it now. I had a little luck with Google. I did find out that Bejo Seeds, Inc. is the supplier. Now to find it! I'll let you know when I do. If anything, I'll give the company a call and see who the dealers are. Thanks a bunch!

T:)

[imtnt]

I found it! You're right on!

Here's the description:

An elongated egg shaped radish with bright red skin and crisp white flesh. Great tasting, mild with a bit of zing when harvested young, but also holds its flavor and crispness when harvested later at the two inch size. Resistant to flea beetles and root maggots and slow to bolt.


Available at: www.superseeds.com if anyone else is interested in them too. Thanks!!

T

[strong eagle]

Being raised in Wash. State, and starting my gardening experience out there, I know just what you mean about those root maggots in radishes. My great Aunt, who was considered one of the best gardeners in Skamania county, taught me to put wood ashes heavily around the row of radishe, but- she also cleanned out her gutters and used it to keep the flys away. Apparently the sand coming off her asphalt shingles had just enough smell of asphalt to keep them at bay. Don't know if that is "Organic" but it works! Strong

[imtnt]

Interesting about the asphalt particles! :) I'm going to see if I can get some wood ashes from a neighbor, as everyone else I can think of has pellet stoves and I heard there is some residue from whatever they glue them together with, left in the ash. Could have heard wrong there, which would make it easier to get ash. :)

Yeah, those things are pesky. I did get a chance to see the fly that lays the eggs though, so I know what to look out for next year. I thought about trying row cover but with the amount of wind we get here, not sure I could keep it on well enough.

Thanks for the suggestion!

T

[Ohiorganic]

Don't use wood ashes around your radishes unless your soil is really really acid. otherwise the ashes will make the soil too alkiline for radishes and you will get blackheart disease (I think that is what it is called, at any rate the radishes turn black and nasty).

Last year i found that a combination of blackplastic mulch, row cover and sticky traps on a bed that had onions the year before caught a bunch of the maggot flies (tiny black flies that kids often refer to as baby flies-they go after most roots as well as fruit).

Any how, I had a bed that was not dismantled from the year before and had row cover and black landscape mulch down and got warm enough to make the adults emerge. But since the air was cold they all went to the water bottles I had filled and covered with tanglefoot and got stuck and died. Lucky accident.

I would reccomend row covers. yes they can be a pain to use in windy areas but they do work.