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.

Cheers

Dave R

"David.WE.Roberts" wrote in
:

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.

Cheers

Dave R


Yes, David.
I feel your frustration....

Baz

On Fri, 26 Jul 2013 10:37:56 +0000, David.WE.Roberts wrote:

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.

I thought that was the whole point? I'll get my coat...

"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.
[...]
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.

Oh dear. I know the feeling. My broccoli plants kept getting eaten into
green lace each year, despite the usual net, so this time I've made a
cage with brand new netting which is smaller gauge (5x7mm) and so far
they've not been able to shimmy their way through, despite trying hard.
I remembered to put cardboard collars to defeat cabbage root fly too,
which was another pest that attacked last year.

There does seem to be a sudden huge increase in white butterfly numbers
over the last few days. The garden's alive with them atm; they seem to
be partial to Scabious or Lavender flowers when they can't get
brassicas.

--
Sue

"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

On 2013-07-26 15:53:48 +0100, Indigo said:

"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.
[...]
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.

Oh dear. I know the feeling. My broccoli plants kept getting eaten into
green lace each year, despite the usual net, so this time I've made a
cage with brand new netting which is smaller gauge (5x7mm) and so far
they've not been able to shimmy their way through, despite trying hard.
I remembered to put cardboard collars to defeat cabbage root fly too,
which was another pest that attacked last year.

There does seem to be a sudden huge increase in white butterfly numbers
over the last few days. The garden's alive with them atm; they seem to
be partial to Scabious or Lavender flowers when they can't get
brassicas.

There are some butterflies around that might be mistaken for cabbage
whites, apparently. I've recently read that they've been seen in
considerable numbers.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/ear...h-gardens.html

--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

They're using them for different purposes. Brassicas are the food plant for the caterpillars, the lavender and scabious are the nectar source for the adults' food.

Both small whites and large whites are known as cabbage white and the larvae of both feed on cabbages, so it's pretty academic which one you have!

"David.WE.Roberts" wrote in message
...
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.

Cheers

Dave R

I've netted my brassica and still they get in the smallest gap at ground
level.

"Bob Hobden" wrote in
:


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.

Bad luck with the arthritis, hope it's not too bad for you.

For others who don't want to spend too much money, I use debris netting,
held up with bamboo canes with pop bottles on top, so the canes don't wear
holes in the netting. Weeding is not easy but it is a relativly cheap
method. A 50m X 3m roll of bebris netting cost me £50 a few years ago. And
it has no signs of rotting or breaking up. So it seems to be a one off
purchase.

http://tinyurl.com/pohvybr

Baz

Baz wrote in :

"Bob Hobden" wrote in
:


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.

Bad luck with the arthritis, hope it's not too bad for you.

For others who don't want to spend too much money, I use debris
netting, held up with bamboo canes with pop bottles on top, so the
canes don't wear holes in the netting. Weeding is not easy but it is a
relativly cheap method. A 50m X 3m roll of bebris netting cost me £50
a few years ago. And it has no signs of rotting or breaking up. So it
seems to be a one off purchase.

http://tinyurl.com/pohvybr

Baz


In fact it is now £35 for the 50m X 3m roll!!!!!

Baz

"Baz" wrote ...

"Bob Hobden" wrote


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.

Bad luck with the arthritis, hope it's not too bad for you.


Had it since I was about 35 so I'm used to it.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 2013-07-27 21:11:42 +0100, Malcolm said:

In article , Sacha
writes
On 2013-07-26 15:53:48 +0100, Indigo said:

"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.
[...]
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.
Oh dear. I know the feeling. My broccoli plants kept getting eaten into
green lace each year, despite the usual net, so this time I've made a
cage with brand new netting which is smaller gauge (5x7mm) and so far
they've not been able to shimmy their way through, despite trying hard.
I remembered to put cardboard collars to defeat cabbage root fly too,
which was another pest that attacked last year.
There does seem to be a sudden huge increase in white butterfly numbers
over the last few days. The garden's alive with them atm; they seem to
be partial to Scabious or Lavender flowers when they can't get
brassicas.

There are some butterflies around that might be mistaken for cabbage
whites, apparently. I've recently read that they've been seen in
considerable numbers.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/ear...7897/The-UKs-b
iggest-ever-survey-to-find-the-most-common-butterfly-in-British-gardens.
html

It doesn't matter if one is mistaken for the other. There are two
species of butterfly popularly known as "Cabbage Whites" - the Large
White and the Small White It is the latter that is featured in that
article. The main food plants of both species are members of the
Brassica family, e.g. cabbages, broccoli, etc., etc., and the
caterpillars of both are capable of doing significant damage both in
gardens and on farms.

Both are resident almost throughout Britain, except the far north, and
both populations can be joined, in some years, by vast numbers of
immigrants from the continent.

There is a third widespread species of white butterfly - the
Green-veined White - which, when it closes its wings, is striped
greeny-yellow on the undersides. They don't seem to attack garden
brassicas to any significant degree.

We've seen lots here and the only brassicas we grow at present are the
plants we have for sale. They're all looking quite well so I wonder
what the butterflies are using for food.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

We've seen lots here and the only brassicas we grow at present are the
plants we have for sale. They're all looking quite well so I wonder what
the butterflies are using for food.


Nothing

It's the caterpillars that feed on the plants

On 2013-07-27 22:18:32 +0000, David Hill said:


We've seen lots here and the only brassicas we grow at present are the
plants we have for sale. They're all looking quite well so I wonder what
the butterflies are using for food.


Nothing

It's the caterpillars that feed on the plants

Der! Yes,sloppy of me!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon