David Hare-Scott said:


Drew Lawson wrote:
Next year I may add cabbage to the broccoli. Either way, I am
strongly considering row covers for next year, as long as it is a
reusable material.

Polymer mesh used for netting fruit trees is cheap and will last quite a few
seasons especially if not put under stress. You could make hoops out of
polypipe to stand it off the plants or just drape it over. You can water
and inspect through the mesh and just lift it to harvest. I find this a
very simple solution to cabbage butterflies.

I tried row covers for a while. The problem was, under cover the
earwigs** and slugs went wild (especially the earwigs). The covers
protected them from predators. The lack of air circulation lead to
fungus problems (especially for cucumbers).

So now I grow kholrabi in the spring (because it matters not if the leaves
get a bit tattered) and bok choi in the fall and forget about heading
types of cabbage at home. No more pretty looking heads laced through
with worms or earwigs and their excrement.

**BTW, this is a BANNER YEAR for earwigs. They may have ruined
my fence charger. It was PACKED FULL of earwigs. Good thing I had
a backup. The groundhogs have been feeding on mulberry leaves that
keep shooting up along the neighbor's fence. The shock wire is the only
thing that keeps them going over the garden fence.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

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