Fruit fly control

[Florence]

We had a few unusually warm days lately, I've just sown some tomato seeds last week and been thinking about fruit fly control. I've seen fly traps and bags at Scarlett's place, just wondering what everyone else uses for fruit fly control, and what are good fly traps (bought or DIY) and lures.

Also, does the stockings that worked so well against rodents for Betty & Bob works for fruit flies too?

Thanks ~

[Florence]

Yea, Zukes are suprisingly hard to grow despite all the references about it being prolific...

I've put one in a pot in front of a north facing brick wall, but was stil getting only female flowers.. .. maybe I planted it in the wrong season in Autumn.. ? Thought we supposed to be able to grow them here almost all year round ..

[Vanessa Thompson (pomare)]

Ok after searching around the net a bit, i think ive got both problems.......Aghhhhhhh.

[Cassandra]

Hi All. I have a zucchini problem that just couldn't wait till the weekend. I have powdery mildew. similar problems with the little zucchini's rotting at the end but more that the leaves have a powder on them and then they start to go yellow, brown then die. i have done my research. what is suggested is to cut of affected leaves and spray with iron sulphate or some other fungicide. I have sprayed with copper something fungicide suggested by bunnings cause I didn't want to loose my big beautiful plants with vegies on them. I'm pretty sure they suggested the wrong thing. Apart from increase uptake of calcium in clay soil through gypsum or dolomite, what else can i use that is natural?
Off to bunnings for some Gypsum
All the best
Cass

[Donna]

Cass, half milk/ half water sprayed on the leaves until it runs worked for me last year - EM bugs also works. You need to keep spraying it every few days. Do cut the worst affected leaves off and do this every few days too.

The yellow ladybirds eat it, so don't kill them, eventually they will keep it under control for you.

[Vanessa Thompson (pomare)]

Yes I must say this worked very well. I did it with a cap full of EM bugs and half milk and half water for the first go and then everyday with the milk and water and it worked a treat. I did cut of the worst leaves and made sure the spray was sprayed very well and soaked. Even waterd the remains from the spray bottle on the zuks and pumkin lol.
Thanks dona for the tip and for sure will do it again if needed.

[Vanessa Thompson (pomare)]

Forgot to say.........it was My pumpkin that was the main plants that had the mold. My zuks werent too bad and only had a leave or two with mold but the pumpkin was coverd with it, except for the baby ones comming thru (I used a one L spray bottle)

[Lyn Cliff]

I use fruit fly exclusion netting on my fruit trees. You can buy it by the lineal metre from netprocanopies check out www.netprocanopies.com

You could probably use it on tomatoes, but it could stop the flowers being polinated.

[Florence]

Thanks Lyn, I'll probably give them a try next year for the peach tree. How big's your net?

[Lyn Cliff]

The netting is 9.9m wide and is available in any length. I think I bought 6 metres and then cut it in half. So I have 2 pieces 6m x 4.9m. It cost me around $90 including postage. I checked out other suppliers and they charge that amount for enough to cover only one tree!!!

They originally quoted me $1.50/m2 + GST +Postage/Freight, but when I went to order the price had dropped (strange but nice).

Cheers
Lyn