How can I succeed with cabbages?
Specifically - how can I best net them against butterflies?

--
Chris

How can I succeed with cabbages?
Specifically - how can I best net them against butterflies?

--
Chris

We had success by simply draping a large 1cm net over the young cabbages and
holding down the edges with rocks. As the plants grew we just slackened off
the nets periodically. It is important not to leave any gaps for them to get
in. The butterflies seem to prefer to lay their eggs on the underside of
leaves, so it didn't seem to matter that the net rested on the top of the
cabbages. Unfortunately we didn't get around to netting the brassicas this
year, busy with too much else due to moving house (and country!), so the
caterpillars are having a feast.
--
David
.... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
.... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/

On Mon, 21 Aug 2006 10:36:29 +0100, Chris ] wrote:

How can I succeed with cabbages?
Specifically - how can I best net them against butterflies?

Make a netting cage but putting canes in the ground, putting yogurt
pots on each cane and draping the net over that.

Pam in Bristol

Pam Moore wrote:
On Mon, 21 Aug 2006 10:36:29 +0100, Chris ] wrote:

How can I succeed with cabbages?
Specifically - how can I best net them against butterflies?

Make a netting cage but putting canes in the ground, putting yogurt
pots on each cane and draping the net over that.

I've never done it, but I think I've heard it said that old net
curtains would do the job: you could stock up very cheaply at jumble
sales! Not sure they'd withstand UV well in the open air, but they
could be cheap enough for that not to matter.

--
Mike.

"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
: How can I succeed with cabbages?
: Specifically - how can I best net them against butterflies?
:
: --
: Chris
For the general question, you need a well limed, site that is well firmed
down before planting to enable the cabbages to heart up properly. I always
net against pigeons and depending on the size of the net, these may help
keep out the butterflies but not all of them, so every week or so, after the
first site of the caterpillars, I pull back the nets and squash them all.

www.rraa.moonfruit.com

"Robert" wrote in message
...

"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
: How can I succeed with cabbages?
: Specifically - how can I best net them against butterflies?
:
: --
: Chris
For the general question, you need a well limed, site that is well firmed
down before planting to enable the cabbages to heart up properly. I always
net against pigeons and depending on the size of the net, these may help
keep out the butterflies but not all of them, so every week or so, after
the
first site of the caterpillars, I pull back the nets and squash them all.

www.rraa.moonfruit.com

The general advice is useful, but you will need a fine and comprehensive net
to keep off large white butterflies. They seem to have no problem getting
into my fruit cage mesh around 15mm.
A good inspection every 2 days at least is useful. The large white butterfly
lays clusters of eggs which are easily spotted and the early stages of
caterpillar damage also gives the game away as far as the green small white
caterpillars are concerned.
Brasicca pest are very active in high summer and I tend to grow other summer
vegetables and save brasiccas for autumn and winter.
I'm afraid last year I used a systemic insecticide for sprouting broccoli
and brussel sprouts-it got both over the pest peak in the one allowed
application.
regards
David T.

In article , david taylor
writes


The general advice is useful, but you will need a fine and comprehensive net
to keep off large white butterflies.

Where can you get those little black ball things with holes in, you can
build temporary netting structures with them by making a cage out of
canes and use the balls to connect the canes together. Tried all year to
find them. Must be putting in wrong description into search engine.

janet


--
Janet Tweedy
Amersham Gardening Association
http://www.amersham-gardening.net

Janet Tweedy wrote:
Where can you get those little black ball things with holes in, you can
build temporary netting structures with them by making a cage out of
canes and use the balls to connect the canes together. Tried all year to
find them. Must be putting in wrong description into search engine.

What ... did you enter 'little black ball things with holes in' in the
search engine? Here's the first entry for 'cabbage netting' ...

http://www.fothergills.co.uk/en/garden-accessory.aspx

In reply to La Puce ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

Janet Tweedy wrote:
Where can you get those little black ball things with holes in, you
can build temporary netting structures with them by making a cage
out of canes and use the balls to connect the canes together. Tried
all year to find them. Must be putting in wrong description into
search engine.

What ... did you enter 'little black ball things with holes in' in the
search engine? Here's the first entry for 'cabbage netting' ...

http://www.fothergills.co.uk/en/garden-accessory.aspx

Indeed ...

http://www.fothergills.co.uk/en/build-a-ball-5814.aspx

As opposed to http://www.docsmachine.com/nonPB/mortar02.jpg , which is the
best you get for little black ball things with holes in. Mind you, it looks
a good option, although a bit overkill just for caterpillars.

Uncle Marvo wrote:
As opposed to http://www.docsmachine.com/nonPB/mortar02.jpg , which is the
best you get for little black ball things with holes in. Mind you, it looks
a good option, although a bit overkill just for caterpillars.

))) Oh I don't know. If the caterpillar's got a toothache or
something and is in a bad mood ...

"Janet Tweedy" wrote
Where can you get those little black ball things with holes in, you
can build temporary netting structures with them by making a cage out
of canes and use the balls to connect the canes together. Tried all
year to find them. Must be putting in wrong description into search
engine.

They're marketed as 'Build a ball'. Several online sites sell them in
packs.

www.fothergills.co.uk/en/build-a-ball-5814.aspx
www.ferndale-lodge.co.uk/pd_558079.htm
http://www.gardensupplydirect.co.uk/...CategoryID=113

--
Sue

In article , Uncle Marvo
writes

Indeed ...

http://www.fothergills.co.uk/en/build-a-ball-5814.aspx

As opposed to http://www.docsmachine.com/nonPB/mortar02.jpg , which is the
best you get for little black ball things with holes in. Mind you, it looks
a good option, although a bit overkill just for caterpillars.





Ah but you could use it with fleece to stop carrot fly I assume and
anything is better than letting the pigeons AND magpies eat my Brussels
sprouts and calabrese as they have this year.

Thanks I've ordered two sets.

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

The message
from Janet Tweedy contains these words:

In article , david taylor
writes


The general advice is useful, but you will need a fine and
comprehensive net
to keep off large white butterflies.

Where can you get those little black ball things with holes in, you can
build temporary netting structures with them by making a cage out of
canes and use the balls to connect the canes together. Tried all year to
find them. Must be putting in wrong description into search engine.

janet


I've used Harrod Horticultural which seemed to be surprisingly
reasonable and have a good range of fine-mesh netting in useful widths.
It does make a huge difference to brassicas if you can net them
effectively. The annual erection of my brussel sprout cage is a ritual
second only to the building of the runner bean supports.

Janet G

In article , david taylor
writes
"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
: How can I succeed with cabbages?
: Specifically - how can I best net them against butterflies?

The general advice is useful, but you will need a fine and comprehensive net
to keep off large white butterflies. They seem to have no problem getting
into my fruit cage mesh around 15mm.

Can you suggest a specification for the netting?

Brasicca pest are very active in high summer and I tend to grow other summer
vegetables and save brasiccas for autumn and winter.

Would it be safe to plant out unprotected cabbages now?
Or when would it be OK?

I'm afraid last year I used a systemic insecticide for sprouting broccoli
and brussel sprouts-it got both over the pest peak in the one allowed
application.

Which insecticide would you recommend?
(I haven't used chemicals up-to now ... but am willing to do so.)

Also - I have found by experiment that broccoli needs no protection at
all.
You just let the caterpillars eat all the leaves.
The plants recover in time for the harvest in Spring.
--
Chris

The message ]
from Chris ] contains these words:

In article , david taylor
writes
"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
: How can I succeed with cabbages?
: Specifically - how can I best net them against butterflies?

The general advice is useful, but you will need a fine and
comprehensive net
to keep off large white butterflies. They seem to have no problem getting
into my fruit cage mesh around 15mm.

Can you suggest a specification for the netting?

10 mm netting is fine

See
http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/H...ect%20Netting/




Also - I have found by experiment that broccoli needs no protection at
all.
You just let the caterpillars eat all the leaves.
The plants recover in time for the harvest in Spring.

I've also wondered whether to take this laissez-faire approach as I
agree that the plants seem to recover well. I have wondered though
whether they are slightly weakened by losing most of their leaves and so
I've never had the courage to leave them completely. Presumably you have
had good results - so I'll take that as evidence that it's OK to relax
with purple sprouting!