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ONE MOMENT
Montagu sits behind the Cogmanskloof, in a microclimate that suits stone fruit better than almost anywhere else in the country. The dried-apricot and peach orchards drive most of the contract work here — fruit fly programmes through the season, slug pellet spreading in the mulched rows, and herbicide work between flush periods.
Fruit fly pressure climbs hard in November-December. A missed bait run on a Friday turns into a damaged block by the following weekend. We run programme spraying for Montagu growers on a tight schedule — owner on site to call the conditions, GPS to verify the pass, PDF afterwards for the programme records.
Bait and cover spraying through the fruit fly programme. Slug pellet spreading where the mulch beds invite them. Inter-row herbicide between flushes. Less hay-baling work this side of the Langeberg, but we do run round bales for the smaller mixed operations.
We come into Montagu through the Cogmanskloof — that single road in and out is most of why this town has its own weather. From Gordon's Bay it's 215 km, about two and a half hours when the pass is clear, longer when it isn't.
If you're running an active fruit fly programme this season, lock the contractor in before the first warm week. Calls earlier in the year get earlier slots.
Pick up the phone. One call usually settles it.