Q. We can’t use the good stuff any more. What do I use to kill Maggot worms in my onions? I try different place every year but those come back. I lose a few onions every year. What natural products can I use for killing them? My carrots are full of holes, too. My friend lives four block from me and he has the same problem.
-North Bay, Ontario
A. Thank you for this question. Not good news because without using chemicals, there is not an easy fix for this problem. Likely your carrots and onions are affected by the maggots. Recommendations are disposing of affected plants quickly, plowing immediately post harvest to discourage over wintering in the pupal stage, crop rotation (but it has to be quite far away), and using crop covers during the most vulnerable periods.
-Barbara Emerson, Have Green Thumb
Manchester, Massachusetts
A. I have found that once onion maggots are in the onions, there isn’t much you can do. The best cure is prevention. I’ve found a couple of sites that might help you.
For the carrots, it’s probably wireworm, and again, once it’s in the carrot, there is not much you can do.
You can add diatomaceous earth liberally and work into the soil before you plant. That may keep the worms from getting a foothold. They seem to thrive best in very moist soil, so planting on raised beds, or providing some other sort of drainage will help.
Deborah Aldridge
Green Lasagna, North Port, Florida
