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Cabbage Maggots in Compost .... Can I re-use the compost?

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  • #1

    Cabbage Maggots in Compost .... Can I re-use the compost?

    Hi Guys ....

    One of my clients has a large airpot (500 litre capacity ... it's actually a compost bin).... amazing root growth and I too have one of these which I will be growing potatoes and other rootcrops later this year

    It was bought a few moinths ago, and so far I have been growing Moolie white radishes for him

    The first crop was grown from seed from India .... they grew huge and all went well

    the 2nd lot were James Wong seeds and were growing fine, but today when I worked there, I spotted Cabbage Maggots on the radishes (I think that they are cabbage maggots as they are small white worms)... I pulled the whole lot out and binned them

    the compost that is in the airpot consists of approx 70% Jacks magic and 30% John Innes #3, and for fertilizing, I have been foiliar feeding, alternating with biobizz fish mix, and biobizz alg-a-mic (seaweed/algae blend) ... both organic... aswell as actively aerated compost tea applied every 3 weeks (I kept it simple for him ... rainwater, worm humis (worm compost) and organic unstrapped molasses, brewed for 24hrs and applied 30 minutes after switching the airpump off (its a 30 minute drive to his home)

    I have not used any pesticides on the mooli as my clients wants all his veg to be 100% organic

    so my question is: can I re-use the compost and is there an organic way to get rid of the remaining cabbage maggots? (it's 500 litres of compost and am trying to save my client some money)

    attached are pics .... my phone does not take good photos, but the worms are thin and white

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  • #2
    If you do reuse it don't plant any brassicas in it for a season. I had cabbage root fly last year in one of my raised beds and also garden organically. This year I have salads in the bed instead.

    Other on the vine will be able to offer additional info
    When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it.
    If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

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    • #3
      RHS Cabbage root fly/RHS Gardening advise that the pupae can overwinter in the soil and, as KCN ^^^^ says, you should practice crop rotation.
      Can you spread the compost out and let the birds pick it over first?

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      • #4
        Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post
        RHS Cabbage root fly/RHS Gardening advise that the pupae can overwinter in the soil and, as KCN ^^^^ says, you should practice crop rotation.
        Can you spread the compost out and let the birds pick it over first?
        he has a small garden and not much space to spread out the 500 litres of compost .... If he agrees, I may be able to transfer the compost onto a tarpaulin on his driveway for a day or two, then transfer it back into the bin

        it is a compost bin and has an air tube at the bottom (feeds air in from the sides and bottom) .... perhaps if I moisten the compost, then add the tarpaulin over the top to cover the airpot, it may generate enough heat to kill the remaining pupae?

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        • #5
          If you were to explain to him that it's either never growing brassicas again or a couple of days with the compost open for the birds on the tarp he might understand.

          Out of curiosity, how big is his garden? Are there many pots/borders?
          When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it.
          If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by KittyColdNose View Post
            If you were to explain to him that it's either never growing brassicas again or a couple of days with the compost open for the birds on the tarp he might understand.

            Out of curiosity, how big is his garden? Are there many pots/borders?
            the garden is average size, but the vegetable section is pretty small (3 raised beds (each one measuring 6 foot long , a raised bed herb planter with 3 compartments and the large airpot and a few pots with herbs)

            the beds are full (cottage style), and consist mainly of annuals (which I have been growing for him from seed in my heated propogators (coleus, petunias, pansies, nictotinia, etc etc) plus we bought a few annuals from the local garden centre

            .... he wants his garden to continuosly change (as they do in the beds in the parks)

            He is a doctor from India, and the only veg that he wants is spinach (loads .... I have planted 2 large raised beds with perpetual spinach), loads of corriander, mustard (he has given me seeds from India ... the mustard grows fast, and has large green leaves) ....

            and herbs consist of mainly different mint, fenugeek etc planted in pots .... the airpot was meant for large mooli radish (he also eats the leaves)... hence my 2nd crop of mooli in succession .... I will see if he will go for 'exhibition/large' turnips in the airpot once I get rid of the maggots

            the garden looks great, and the lawn is pristine (I have to mow using my old Hayter Harrier, as he wants stripes) ..... a fussy client, but he pays well (and his wife gives me the most amazing curries every saturday... proper curry, not the take away stuff)

            if worse come to worst, I will convince him to use the compost in the airpot on his beds, and replace with new compost for the airpot
            Last edited by dim; 21-07-2014, 01:42 PM.

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            • #7
              You could always use it for Potatos next year and refill it with fresh compost for the rest of the summer. It's only twenty quid for 4x 120 ltr bags of Verve from B& Q plus some lime of course....
              Hussar!

              Comment

              • #8
                I really wouldn't plant turnips if you have cabbage root fly. I find they always go for turnips in preference to anything else. I'm trying veggiemesh to see if that helps this year (seems promising).
                A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP. - Leonard Nimoy

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