brocolli

[Jove]

Hi, it's been a while, but I'm back. Harvest was quite allright this year (especially appels and berries) but my brocolli was a disaster. All my plants were eaten by caterpillars. Every early morning I plucked them away, but it was no use. And because I refuse to use pesticides I wonder what I can do to avoid this problem next season.

[red]

we had a lot of caterpillars on the brocolli too - but got in early rubbing eggs off so kept the little blighters at bay for a while...

[ina]

The only thing you can do to avoid having to pick caterpillars every day - keep them under fleece. But make sure they are free of eggs when you put the fleece on... The fleece will also keep it warmer (may be beneficial, but unfortunately it encourages weed growth, too!). And it keeps rabbits and pigeons out as well.

[Jandra]

Agreed: fleece is the solution. I've had my cabbages all under fleece for the past 2 years and haven't had any problem with caterpillars at all. And you can really use even the thin fleece several seasons if you're careful with it.
Because of the length of the fleece I had a single cabbage which wasn't covered and it fared very poorly. The other cabbages thrived.

Jandra

[Wombat]

Another way is t use Dipel - a spray of bacillus thurigensis, which only affects the caterpillars.

Nev

[maggienetball]

I tried checking for eggs every day and removing them - but still got caterpillars.

I put netting over them - but still got caterpillars.

I find fleece keeps them too warm in the summer and other bacterial diseases grow.

Now I have a frame covered with micro netting (white stuff available nearly everywhere). I really works. Keeps pigeons etc off too. No slugs/snails I think cos I sink the edges slightly.

However - since I introduced this frame the cabbage whites have been laying on my swede leaves. I covered them and they started trying to lay on the squash leaves and then the lettuces! I've never known them do that before.

I think next year I'm going to plant a few extr uncovered ones that they can have a field day with and maybe they'll leave my others alone!

They definitely have preferences as to which brassicas are best. In my recent study (watching the damage and staring at them and cursing alot) brussels are number 1 followed closely by broccoli and psb. Least fav was january king cabbage and cauliflowers.

Hope this helps.

[ina]

However - since I introduced this frame the cabbage whites have been laying on my swede leaves. I covered them and they started trying to lay on the squash leaves and then the lettuces! I've never known them do that before.

They absolutely love nasturtiums, too... I've seen them destroy a wall of climbing nasturtiums in a few days. Hadn't been getting home from work in daylight for a while, and at the weekend found my flowers were all gone...

[Des]

...They definitely have preferences as to which brassicas are best. In my recent study (watching the damage and staring at them and cursing alot) brussels are number 1 followed closely by broccoli and psb. Least fav was january king cabbage and cauliflowers...

Hmm... Given that I don't much like sprouts (we have them at Christmas "for tradition" and that's pretty much it) it sounds like it might be a good idea to plant a couple of these as a sacrificial offering to the Cabbage White in order to distract them from the brassicas we actually want. :)

Except that, as in all things, they'll probably want the mile as well as the inch they're given. Back to the drawing board...

[SueSteve]

I made a rhubarb tea with the offcuts of rhubarb, and sprayed it about every 2-3 weeks 9when I remembered!) can't remember who suggested it, or where I read it, my Brocolli were fine so whether the rhubarb worked, or if it was just a coincidence I don't know.

[red]

I just pick the caterpillars off (the ones that escaped the egg finding) and throw them to the hens... I don't think fleece would work for me cos we have to pick the slugs off all the time too... so need access...

calabrese is great tho.. it just keeps coming - dont have hte big heads of calabrese now, but plenty of little hads keep on coming,... went into tonight's stirfry..

[fenwoman]

Hi, it's been a while, but I'm back. Harvest was quite allright this year (especially appels and berries) but my brocolli was a disaster. All my plants were eaten by caterpillars. Every early morning I plucked them away, but it was no use. And because I refuse to use pesticides I wonder what I can do to avoid this problem next season.

do you mean broccolli or calabrese?
All my brassicas got caterpillared this year and I would go out twice a day and pick them off and squish them underfoot.Tried chucking them to the hens and not one chicken or turkey ate them. They exude a nasty green smelly detarrant so underfoot squishing was the way although next year I may try some form of companion planting. Alternatively leave a clump of netteles growing for them to lay on. Still got lots eaten but with the broccoli I grow it makes no odds. I keep picking and it keeps growing. I adore it and have both purple and white sprouting broc'. Can't understand why it is so dear in the shops either as it really is cut and come again. My cauliflowers are not great not is my calabrese though.
Between the heavy rain, lack of sun and caterpillars, this year has been awful for my veg although the huge laden fruit boughs balanced it out.