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Leatherjackets are the larvae of crane flies, or daddy-longlegs. The female fly lays up to 300 eggs in the lawn in late-summer. These hatch after a couple of weeks into grey-black, legless larvae that have a tough, leathery skin, hence the name

A maggot, the larva of the cranefly or daddy-longlegs, which attacks the roots of many plants, including flowers, vegetables and pot plants. May also attack lawns, causing dead patches of grass to appear.

leatherjackets to the surface where they can be collectedBuild new compost bins to recycle garden waste

Monty Don's advice on planting summer cabbagesCombatting cabbage white caterpillarsTackling LeatherjacketsBrowse a variety of vegetable plantsChoose plants by soil type

summer cabbagesTackling cabbage white caterpillarsCombatting LeatherjacketsBrowse a selection of hardy perennial plants View plants by suitability to sun exposure

Bulk up the compost heap with spent flowerheads and stems from around the garden Improve drainage on compacted lawns by spiking the ground with a fork or aeratorCut everlasting flowers and ornamental grasses for dryingPut netting across ponds

plants in our video from the Gardeners' World garden at Berryfields.courgettes, outdoor cucumbers, marrows, pumpkins, squashesearly summer Common problems affecting vegetable plantsPotato blightPea and bean weevilsCarrot root flyLeatherjackets

The caterpillars of both the small and large cabbage white butterflies are are the two culprits. The first is pale green with a body up to 2.5cm long, the second is bigger at 4cm and is yellow with black markings. The adult butterflies lay eggs

anythingearly spring, summerMore common garden pestsLeatherjackets on lawns, brassicas, strawberries and ornamental plantsElephant hawk moth on fuschia plantsWhitefly on greenhouse plantsMullein moth - affecting verbascum, buddleja and figworts.

, try to prevent the problem by encouraging your dog to urinate in a designated area of the garden. lawnsall year roundCommon problems affecting lawnsMolesCommon daisyGreater plantainLeatherjacketsMoss