SHOP PRODUCTS
Houzz Logo Print
californian_gw

Did compost do more harm than good?

californian
15 years ago

I bought 20 cubic yards of horse manure/sawdust compost and spread thick layers around all my fruit trees. Trouble is fruit beetles found it a perfect place to lay their eggs so the stuff is full of big fruit beetle grubs that will turn into flying beetles and decimate my nectarines just as they ripen. Is their any cheap way to get rid of them? Please don't suggest I buy some stuff that costs $50 as if I have to spend that much I would be better off letting them eat all the fruit and just buy $50 worth of fruit in the grocery store. Maybe I should remove all the compost and rototill it into my clay soil. If I make enough passes with the rototiller maybe I can chop most of them up. Also, how thick a layer is too much around a fruit tree, where it might keep water and air from reaching the soil?

Comments (10)