The Battle Goes on!
The war goes on agains the creepy crawlies that are attempting to gain the upper hand down on the allotment! Today I changed the pheromone lure in my codling moth trap. (what an exciting life I lead!)
Six weeks ago I set a brand new sticky trap. The little cream coloured object in the middle of the card is the pheromone capsule. It fools the little boy codling moths that there is a little girl codling moth inside the green box and that she is..er..... up for it! He flies into the box thinking that his lottery ticket has finally come good... and comes to a sticky end. Let that be a lesson for you boys!
So I inserted a brand new sticky card today with a new, fresh pheromone lure.. and let the poor little defenceless creatures come and get it! I have used this to great effect over the past few years and I can verify that 99% of my plums were maggot free! You can also get moth traps for apple tree moths as well.
I picked some more rhubarb today, I think it is taking over the world! it is massive. I think this is about the time of year that I will stop picking it for two reasons. 1. to let the leaves feed the crown for next year (in the same way that you do for asparagus) and 2. the stalks get gradually tougher and more acid as the Summer goes on. Does anyone have a rule of thumb for when I should stop picking rhubarb?Don't forget to go out and take pictures of what's in your trug for Matron's TRUGBLOG. I will be posting a blog after next weekend on or around 30th June, so please get picking and snapping and send me your photos
posted by Matron @ 10:34 PM
4 Comments:
I remember reading somewhere that you should not pick rhubarb after Summer Solstice, but no idea why, obviously need to go and Google it . . . (grin).
Aw, look how close some of those little male codling moths made it to the pseudo female codling moth! What a sad sticky end but fantastic for your plums!
I had a couple plum trees a few years ago and we were fortunate not to have pest problems. What a pain that must have been.
Oh rhubarb, another thing I haven't grown in years. (We're in an in between place right now) I love when friends unload their extra harvests on me. Rhubarb compote is one of my favourite things on morning biscuits!
I do the same Matron - both plum and apple. I love the fact that something so simple works so well. For once it's a good use of a chemical!
Sounds like my day - spent aquiring lure for wasps and fruit flies of all things... Glad it seems to make a at least a small dent in the local population.
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