"bill" wrote in message
...
On 1/7/05 3:36 PM, in article , "ned"
wrote:

Tom2 wrote:
Hello folks,
HELP PLEASE, I grow vegatables and salads in pots but I am
constantly
bothered with scariad flies and the maggoty larva in the compost,
I
read somewhere that the fly does little harm but that has not
been
my
experience as I have found that any plant that has got these
maggots
in the compost do not thrive and in a number of cases they are
positively sickly, the ideal solution (If there is one) would be
something along organic lines for obvious reasons but I would
consider a chemical method for my long standing specimen plants
that
I overwinter,
Help would be greatly appreciated ,

'Some time since I had this problem but am I not right in thinking
that it is all down to the compost. The scariad larvae thrive in
peat
(type) composts living off decaying vegetable matter. Once
established
they will attack new fine root growth which leads to more decaying
vegetable matter.
Using a loam based compost is the solution - I think.
I think Eyebright has the right solution in the post just before
yours. You
see by eliminating the opportunity for the adult fly to lay their
eggs on
any type of compost will solve the problem. Eyebright's suggestion
of
putting what I call a fine gravel on the surface of the pots does
not allow
the adults to lay their eggs in a medium that allows the eggs to
grow and
flourish. Their eggs will dry up and as Eyebright suggests-end of
problem.
Where to get this 'gravel'? At the beach of course...with a
spaghetti
sieve...perfect gravel. Never done it but it seems to me it might
work...the
sieve I mean.

No argument from me. Sure, a layer of coarse (well washed seaside!)
sand over the compost will do precisely as you say. But using the loam
based compost removes the danger at source. I'd prefer not to attract
the flies (Fungus Gnats) into the greenhouse in the first place,
rather than fight rear guard action against them breeding. :-))

--
ned

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk
last update 30.12.2004