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Plum Codling Moth battle
Robert Sears-Piccavey
Posts: 4
in Fruit & veg
for the past 3 or 4 years I have been battling with plum codling moth maggots ruining my plum harvest.
I set 2 pheromone traps within the branches with limited success , as some had maggots and some did not. I have continued to do this each year.
last year I set chives and lavender vulgaris under the branches, as I read somewhere that the moth does not like their scent. Again with some limited success as there were fewer with maggot but still not completely clear.
This October I put a thick grease band around the trunk of the tree and around the 3 main branches.
Is there anything else I can do?
0
Posts
The traps are really only meant as an indicator of when there are moths about. You then spray the trees with a suitable insecticide when you see more than just a few moths trapped.
RSP....Sorry to hear you have pests ruining your plum harvest.
I inherited a Victoria Plum on an allotment site and recently planted out a plum tree on my new site. Can't offfer any advise as I'm new to growing fruit tree's but interested in the responses from others...
Good luck...
I agree with Berghill. Unfortunately, an insecticidal spray when the traps indicate Plum moth are active is the only thing which will seriously reduce fruit damage, but if you don't want to use insecticides you could try nematodes like "Nemasys Grow Your Own" which you spray on the branches, trunk and ground below (to kill pupae.) The nematodes will kill caterpillars without poisoning other wildlife.
Thank You Berghill and Bob the Gardener, for the advice. I will look at both insecticide and nematodes. It is really great to get help and advice through this forum. It is a great encouragement.Thank you
I have some grubs eating into my apples, don't know which grub, I've just read a bit about Nemesys Grow Your Own after reading this thread, it says to apply in September/October but the damage to the apples has already happened by then. Is there anything I can apply before then to help next years crop? l also have a new Victoria Plum tree so that will probably become affected as well. Thought nematodes would be more expensive than what I have just found on internet, I'll be sending for some.
Same advice really, pheromone traps and spray when you see the moths caught in them.
I also use a Winter spray based on horticultural soap over the trees about now (when it is not frosty of windy or raining that is!).
Sorry for hijacking your post Robert, thanks for the info from everyone, going to send for some Winter Wash and look up worm tea spray. I know more about the life cycle of the codling moth now. I can spend ages looking for info on internet, it's so much quicker getting the correct info from u all on here, thank you. Think its important to keep ground clear of leaves, isn't it? Got few to pick up when weather bit milder next few days.
Keeping a few chickens/bantams to scratch around under fruit trees and eat up the over-wintering grubs works wonders
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
And to be honest I don't spray with anything except the Winter wash, We just put up with the damage. Most of our apples go for purée or juice so the damaged bits are cut out before use. The plums again are not sprayed. We do get some damage, but there are so many good ones that the rest don't matter much. Different I suppose if you have only a small tree , but ours are huge. We have more of a problem with Brown rot,since it is not easy to reach all the fruit before it goes bad.
Grease bands tied around the trunks of fruit trees also catch unwanted bugs and creepy crawlies.