Grow Your Own Magazine

Can anyone help me please? Ive discovered my cabbage, brussels and to a slightly smaller degree my broccoli leaves have LOADS of holes in them! In fact the cabbage have more holes than a string vest! Saw a couple of white butterflies around the other day, so put netting over my crops (again). I have also sprayed them with a product called "natures answer - natural pest control" containing pyrethrins. Trouble is there is more "hole" than leaf on some of my cabbages. Should I continue to let them grow or dig them up? Can anyone suggest anything else I could use to get rid of my problem? dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Hi Dexter,

I have the same problem every year !

I've been told spraying with salt water will kill the caterpillars so I'm going to give it a go. You'll be supprised how they'll perk up.

Just make sure that all the caterpillars are gone & squish any eggs you find & then treat them to a good liquid feed of Hi Nitrogen if possible but anything will do (sack full of muck in a dustbin of water or Comfrey tea) & make sure they get loads of water.

Hopefully they'll bounce back.

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Thanks for that Nick - well give it a go! can't quite believe the little buggers got past my twice daily inspection! I also read in the pest section (couldnt find it so posted this question here) that someone uses chilli and garlic as well, so will try it! ive never actually seen any caterpillers (spelling?!) but will go out and have a right good go. Could I use a nettle feed as well? Feeling much happier! Thanx! dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

On the 'more hole than leaf' front our brassicas are getting covered in tiny (I presume) flea beetle holes....can anything organic be done?

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

I think I read somewhere that if you get a piece of wood and plaster it with grease, put it on the ground near your plants, then give them a good shake, the little blighters fall out of your plants onto the grease and then of course, cant get away! good luck! dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Me too. I inspected this morning and scraped, squished every batch of eggs and one newly hatched clump of caterpillars. Tonight I spotted 3 more lots of eggs!

You just have to keep vigilant.
Sadly when a friend was gazing out the window at my garden and said 'Oh look at those gorgeous butterlies you've got everywhere' she was stunned when I dropped what I was doing and hurtled outside arms windmilling, yelling 'Get off my Broccolli you *insert expletive of choice here*

I have become a monster. Snails are no longer viewed as 'cute' Anysuch found slaughtering what's left of my carrots doesn't even get lobbed into the compost heap anymore. It's instant death.

Tickled Pink - me too! I used to "rescue" snails who were attached to rubbish I took to the dump - brought them back in the car and put them back in the garden! NO LONGER! as much as I love butterflies - little white ones when I say "Shoo!" and dont fly away are not welcome anymore. Slugs also beware! dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Ooh, you evil, nasty, wicked people !
I fear for the world when you discover aphids, then you'll really become mean. But aphids....they deserve all they get. There's a reason aphids have learned to reproduce asexually....even an aphid can't find anyone that loves an aphid.

Hi everyone! Just had a VERY close inspection of my crops - and found the little pests! very small, green caterpillars! didnt realise that something so small could do so much damage! off with them into the bin and am spraying my crops with a mixture of salt, chilli flakes and garlic - it certainly makes my eyes water so hopefully will deter anything else from eating my greens! dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Let's face it, when you see the dog eat dog battle for root space, air, water, light etc that goes on out there we can't help but be drawn in.
I'm getting seriously worried that my neighbours are looking askance though. I've been caught muttering encouragement to my Lemon tree, shaking my fist at a Strawberry nicking Thrush ( I'd be happy to taste just the occasional one for goodness sake), murdering snails with relish and on one memorable occasion at 3 in the morning hurling flower pots at two sha***ng foxes yelling ' Not on my spinach!! Geroff! Gerroff!'
It's not all dancing about in a wispy frock with a rustic basket gathering the odd dew covered raspberry.......

I take it you a lady

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

I've started keeping count. I did for 17 caterpillars just this morning. Die you leaf eating £$%^&*(!!

I got back from hols last week and had the same problem with my Brussels, Swede, Cauliflowers (which went to seed while I was away anyway), and my Sugar Snap Peas. All of them with tea strainer style leaves, and the whole worlds population of caterpillar's on them. I counted to 500 on before I lost count and that was only on 3 plants. I have to have a look at them all each hour now and still I find more of the gits.

I have created a dance called the "ballet butterfly", where I jump around, doing lamb springs, flapping my arms and screaming at the same time. Bring on "Strictly come gardening".

I have wondered if CD's might help (not for my dance but to scare the butterfly's). Someone recommended hanging old CD's on string and the reflection will scare them away. Has anyone else tried something like this?

I Have Silverfox, but I have SAS butterflies that aren't easily firghtened

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

It's good to know that I'm not the only one! Sprayed everything I could with my very strong mixture of salt, chilli and garlic water (all leaves on both sides). But it's been raining ever since monday morning, so not had chance to check - if the weather breaks later shall go out and have a shuftie! dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Thanks for the info Nick re: feeding with comfrey - managed to get two bags of dried comfrey off ebay - "tortoise health! was the site - am now steeping some in a bucket of water. Shame the weather is too bad (again) for me to get out there and catch some more of the little treasures! dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Interesting entomological thing about aphids - given optimal conditions, aphid babies are actually pregnant before they hatch from the egg . Just in case you wondered how aphid numbers can explode in good weather! Got to admire them for that.

So what chance have we then of getting rid of the little blitters!

its war out there people
our site is full of white butterflys and some lovely big red ones too my daughter loves catching them in a net
and are the stipey red and yellow caterpillers a nuisance too
as we find loads in the bushs

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PRESTON NORTH END
xbox gamertag billybobs
add me to your friends list if you got what it takes

Well, just had a de-bugging session - only found three of the little darlings! Have sprayed leaves again with my chilli/garlic/salt mixture but now the leaves have lots of patches of what I can only describe as "poo", guess its caterpillar poo? Decided to pull up my leaf beet because of the holes and the poo, but am giving the other plants a chance. Feeling very disappointed today. hope everyone else has a good day in their plots. Dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

I've just pulled up the remains of my brocolli too - I got a few good heads off it and a few good bagfuls in the freezer but then the leaves turned into lace overnight 'cos of those pesky caterpillars and I couldn't face picking them out any more!!

If theres anything I've learnt this year I think its to cover the brocolli up next time!!! Its all a big learning curve I guess so I try not to let it get to me!

I was thinking of growing kale later in the year - am I likely to have similar
problems with that or will it be ok at that time of year??

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smiling is infectious....

http://www.thehudsonallotment.blogspot.com/ updated 28th May 2008

hi just found this forum while looking for organic treatments for cabbage white. Ours are netted but net obviously not quite small enough - you want to see them squeeze through. picking off and squeezing them -funny hubby can only see the eggs! Question can i put fleece over them under net - read somewhere that fleece in this hot weather can scorch cabbages

I have just started my kale seedling off - yes I know it is a bit late - and am hoping that by the time they go out in the garden, the cabbage whites will be over. When do they finish - anyone any idea?