Plant Doctor Archive

Condys crystals and grubs in raspberries

Question IN Weekend Gardener issue 76 (November 2000), there was mention of Condys Crystals (potassium permanganate) to combat powdery mildew. Several enquiries to buy some have drawn a blank. Are these still available and, if so, where? Also, my raspberries — planted two years ago — have grubs in the fruit. How do I treat this problem?

Answer  POTASSIUM permanganate has many different uses, such as disinfecting and cleaning, through to helping control powdery mildew in home gardens.

You can buy this under its brand name of Condys Crystals. You may not find it readily on a shelf in a garden centre, so you may have to get it ordered for you.

Try some of the commercial outlets, but if you have no luck, you could try the distributors Dominion Chemicals in Auckland for contact details in your area.

Without seeing your raspberries it is a bit hard to say what bug or insect you have eating the fruit. It would be best to take a sample down to your local garden centre for better identification. You could have leaf roller caterpillars, in which case you can spray with Yates Maldison or Carbaryl.

Weekend Gardener, Issue 101, 2002, Page 20