Morag Kelly asked 13 years ago
I had a problem with leatherjackets in raised beds last year. My spuds were decimated and i found leatherjacket grubs. I would like to treat the raised beds with nematodes before i grow this year. When can i start the nematodes treatment and how long do i have to wait before i can start growing?
1 Answers
Gerry Daly Staff answered 6 years ago
It is most unusual to have leatherjackets in cultivated ground, cutworms yes and wireworms yes, but not generally leatherjackets unless the beds were weedy.
Crane flies, or daddy-long-legs, lay their eggs mostly in grassland and lawn and not in well cultivated ground. If the beds wre made with sods of grass in them, the leatherjackets would migrate to the surface but this will be a once-off occurrence.
If leatherjackets are going to be present this spring, they are already there and digging will find them. If you find none, problem solved. If you do find them, just tdig the soil over a few times to expose them to birds.
