"David.WE.Roberts" wrote

I've sown some old greyhound cabbage seeds in trays to see if they were
still viable and have had a few germinate.

So I had perhaps 6-8 seedlings in two mushroom trays (the brown ones you
buy mushrooms in) out on a shelf down the garden, waiting to be planted
out.

Yesterday they were surrounded by a crowd of cabbage white butterflies,
and the tiny leaves were covered top and bottom with little white posts
which I assume are eggs.

One caterpillar could eat the lot then starve, let alone the tens which
could hatch out.

I've brushed most of the eggs off and the seedlings are now in the shed
for the moment.

However it may now be an even worse year for cabbages.

All those down at the allotments (not mine) which are not netted have
already been savaged by birds and any leaves near the netting have been
got at.

So much so that I decided not to plant any brassicas out for the moment
because I couldn't see them surviving.

There are a few home built fruit cages at the allotment and at least one
plot holder is building a whole allotment cage for everything.

I am seriously considering doing the same because nothing is worse than
putting in a load of work and a load of plants just to see them all eaten.


We used to constantly have the same problem and the self built cages/nets
were never easy to get into so there was always a problem weeding. Some
years ago we decided that we would buy a proper fruit cage for our brassicas
6 metre x 6 metre. Yes it was expensive but it's our hobby too so cheaper
than playing golf or a season ticket for football etc. Now we can move it
every year around our plot (4 year rotation) in a day, and we can both get
in and weed with a hoe standing up straight which is important for me as I
have arthritis of the spine.
A number of other plot holders have followed our lead and bought " brassica"
cages too.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK