My first year as a veggie gardener has been brilliant - except for my
Brussels Lace (sorry, sprouts.)

Despite the use of Derris Liquid and picking off caterpillars every other
day, the leaves have been reduced to skeletons. Sprouts are still forming on
some of the plants, but it all looks a bit sad. (I probably brought it all
on myself by having several insect-friendly areas in the garden.)

Is there a way to get round this without setting up a caterpillar-squishing
rota for the family?

Peter Goddard wrote:
: My first year as a veggie gardener has been brilliant - except for my
: Brussels Lace (sorry, sprouts.)
:
: Despite the use of Derris Liquid and picking off caterpillars every
: other day, the leaves have been reduced to skeletons. Sprouts are
: still forming on some of the plants, but it all looks a bit sad. (I
: probably brought it all on myself by having several insect-friendly
: areas in the garden.)
:
: Is there a way to get round this without setting up a
: caterpillar-squishing rota for the family?

Yes, a fine mesh net will stop the butterflies getting to the sprout plants
but you must keep an eye on them in case one has got in somehow.
www.kenmuir.co.uk sells enviromesh

Robert The Devil's Advocate www.pafc.co.uk

The Devil's Advocate wrote:

Peter Goddard wrote:
: My first year as a veggie gardener has been brilliant - except for my
: Brussels Lace (sorry, sprouts.)
:
: Despite the use of Derris Liquid and picking off caterpillars every
: other day, the leaves have been reduced to skeletons. Sprouts are
: still forming on some of the plants, but it all looks a bit sad. (I
: probably brought it all on myself by having several insect-friendly
: areas in the garden.)
:
: Is there a way to get round this without setting up a
: caterpillar-squishing rota for the family?

Yes, a fine mesh net will stop the butterflies getting to the sprout plants
but you must keep an eye on them in case one has got in somehow.
www.kenmuir.co.uk sells enviromesh

Sadly the butterflies will in fact lay eggs on the mesh itself where
it's in contact with the leaves. Some of the resultant teeny-tiny
caterpillars so seem to have made their way through the mesh, as I've
found them on the foliage, but only where the leaves are in contact with
the mesh. I'm going to try to construct a proper structure from which to
suspend the mesh next summer.

But the leaves of the unprotected late sowing of turnips definitely
resemble lace :-(

regards
sarah


--
Think of it as evolution in action.

sw wrote:
: The Devil's Advocate wrote:
:
:: Peter Goddard wrote:
::: My first year as a veggie gardener has been brilliant - except for
::: my Brussels Lace (sorry, sprouts.)
:::
::: Despite the use of Derris Liquid and picking off caterpillars every
::: other day, the leaves have been reduced to skeletons. Sprouts are
::: still forming on some of the plants, but it all looks a bit sad. (I
::: probably brought it all on myself by having several insect-friendly
::: areas in the garden.)
:::
::: Is there a way to get round this without setting up a
::: caterpillar-squishing rota for the family?
::
:: Yes, a fine mesh net will stop the butterflies getting to the sprout
:: plants but you must keep an eye on them in case one has got in
:: somehow. www.kenmuir.co.uk sells enviromesh
:
: Sadly the butterflies will in fact lay eggs on the mesh itself where
: it's in contact with the leaves. Some of the resultant teeny-tiny
: caterpillars so seem to have made their way through the mesh, as I've
: found them on the foliage, but only where the leaves are in contact
: with
: the mesh. I'm going to try to construct a proper structure from which
: to suspend the mesh next summer.
:
: But the leaves of the unprotected late sowing of turnips definitely
: resemble lace :-(
:
: regards
: sarah

I've just been up crushing caterpillars and you are right, they do get
through, but the cabbages with the fine mesh net have far less than the
wider mesh net so I think it is a bit of a help

Robert The Devil's Advocate www.pafc.co.uk

The Devil's Advocate wrote:

sw wrote:

[-]

: Sadly the butterflies will in fact lay eggs on the mesh itself where
: it's in contact with the leaves. Some of the resultant teeny-tiny
: caterpillars so seem to have made their way through the mesh, as I've
: found them on the foliage, but only where the leaves are in contact
: with
: the mesh. I'm going to try to construct a proper structure from which
: to suspend the mesh next summer.
:
: But the leaves of the unprotected late sowing of turnips definitely
: resemble lace :-(

I've just been up crushing caterpillars and you are right, they do get
through, but the cabbages with the fine mesh net have far less than the
wider mesh net so I think it is a bit of a help

oh, yes. And it's satisfying to watch the **** butterflies bouncing off
the mesh where they can't get to the plants. I did try scattering
aromatic herbs (wormwood) on the mesh to try to confuse them, but the
only thing that really worked was my Gardener's citronella spray :-)

regards
sarah


--
Think of it as evolution in action.