Is There An Organic Soil Treatment For Root Maggots

Question From: D. Wheeler - ALASKA
Q: I live at lat. 61.5N and I have a very bad problem with cabbage and onion root maggots. Is there a organic soil treatment for this problem. Thanks

A:

Dennis, rotating crops is recommended. Yellow sticky traps set out to catch the flies. You can make them by painting cardboard bright Yellow and then smearing the cards with Tanglefoot.  Covering the soil with floating row covers will keep the flies from laying eggs in the soil. Some gardeners suggest sprinkling cayenne pepper over the surface of the soil. But of course if you are plant a large area this is not reasonable. Hope this helps. Best and Happy Yardening, Nancy