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Brussels & brocolli

sammyd

By Sammyd

United Kingdom Gb

My knowledge of growing vegetables has been limited to runner beans. This year I decided to branch out with brussels & brocolli. My plants were looking fantastic when I went on holiday about 2 weeks ago. I came back to find just stalks left and everything had been eaten by caterpillars. What can I do next year to protect them? I want to keep all my veg organic.




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I am so sorry, Sammy! What a shock for you - and such a nuisance. too. Yes, you can protect your crops - but much earlier in the season, with close-weave netting that will stop the cabbage white butterflies laying their eggs on your veggies. Hope this helps. good luck next time!

26 Aug, 2008

 

I have experienced the same problem. I have handpicked all the caterpillers off ,Loads of them ! Each day a few more seem to appear from no where. Over the last two weeks I can see fresh growth,and I am hoping enough will mature to make a possible future crop.. I did previously cover these plants with mesh but did not expect the butterflies to find their way under the netting.As the baby plants grew,the netting was not touching the ground .

I hope to make a better job of them next year. I think the ones that appear now are the tiny quarter inch babies which were missed by me at the beginning of my caterpiller hunt.Do not pull them all up until you have tried. Look for the yellow eggs and make sure you kill them off ! ( under the remaining leaves and stalks )

26 Aug, 2008

 

butterfly resistant netting is the answer, but they will get in if there are any gaps. so i make a wooden frame and attatch the netting to this, but we still left a gap somewhere as i am finding out!!! must have got 50 of the blighters off this weekend, will have to try harder next year

26 Aug, 2008

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