Grow Your Own Magazine

ok just seen the flutterbies on the cabbage and too late to net anything so anyone got any ideas? ordinary bug spray or something???
i don't normally eat cabbage - it's ok but much nicer things to eat - growing it mainly for the hell of it and to prove i can grow stuff ........

Hi,

I was given some advice on the vine last year about this and so far fingers crossed it is working.

You need to let some ruhbarb leaves soak in water for a few days and then spray on the cabbage etc and it deters the butterflies. I am sure someone can be a bit more technical about it and ratio of leaves to water, but it really seems to be working for me.

Good luck, Mandy

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No mater when time you set out, you always get there at the same time

Im using the same method on my cauliflowers with success Mandy but stink is something else it smells strangly like pig muck and stinks out the whole plot when applied, im not sure on the dilution ratio its just guess work but cn tell you there are butterflies everwhere except my cauli's! I expect its the stench that puts them off!

In the meantime you could always try some salty water. That was recommended last year.

I've gone the whole hog this year and netted with Environmesh from day 1!

cheers - rhubarb solution not likely to work cos not got enough rhubarb ...
will give the salt water thing a try

I netted...took me hours. Today I found a Cabbage White INSIDE THE NET!!!
Caught the b*gger, pulled its wings off.
Is that bad?

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

YUP - bad... but understandable. How big was the mesh on your net? Mine are netted with windbreak netting all round and pond mesh on top. I have problems with flea beetle as well as cabbage whites (mind you, haven't seen many butterflies yet this year - too darned windy)

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Problem the little b*ggers can still climb???

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I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields

hi just read farmer gyles on cabbages i am reading a book at the moment by terry walton the man from the jeremy vine radio allotment he treats his cabbages organicaly with the rhubarb method it works fine but the smell is evil peter the grove grower

Last year I also found cabbage white butterfly inside the netting. It happened on a couple of occasions and I thought that I must have left an opening?
But this year it has happened again when I am sure that I had secured the netting with tent pegs.
Then I suddenly had an idea! Could it be that a cabbage white pupa (chrysalis?) was in the soil inside the net area, and emerged? Since the new butterfly had not mated there were no caterpillers.
Any thoughts anyone?
Harry

I found two inside my netting today despite being as secure as I could make it. Will keep close eye on it tomorrow.

TGR

The flutterby's have got clever down here they lay their eggs on fine mesh above the cabbages when the eggs hatch the small caterpillars drop through the mesh onto the cabbages ans away they go, person thinks my cabbages are safe no flutterby will ever get in there so they can be left undisturbed for a long time.

Butterflies with 'O' levels! What's the world coming too!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

I think my butterflies have got A levels. After reading the post about them pupating inside the netting I felt more hopeful. However, I've just been up the garden and watched a dozen of the little darlings land haphazardly on the netting, neatly fold their wings and pass easily inside. That's bad enough but then they repeat the exercise coming out. ARGGH!!! I tried the rhubarb cure last year, it works but the smell is unbelieveable. Maybe I shall have to bite the bullet and go for it. I have a few stalks of rhubarb left or try the salt cure. JennieAtkinson, could you post the ratio of salt to water please?

Thank you,

TGR

Sorry if I'm being dim but does the smelly rhubarb method affect the taste of the leaves?

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx

Oh gawd, They've had my cabbages and found some on my beloved Khol Rabi which gets checked many times a day. I want to put out my caulis which are hardening but I am too worried to take the plunge. Knowing my luck the flutters have been to Cambridge University around here

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Hayley B

OH is competing in the Macmillan 4x4 challenge (in aid of Macmillan Nurses) partnering Julia Bradbury (Watchdog presenter) in March 2009 http://www.justgiving.com/mac4x4juliabradbury

The smell didn't affect the taste of our produce but it does involve stripping off all clothes straight into washing machine and immediately showering before family will stop running round complaining about the smell and spraying you with air freshener, deodorant, etc.

The smell in the garden while it's steeping is "interesting" too! The black bucket that held our last batch STILL smells.

TGR

i found my cauliflowers riddled with caterpillars this year ..... couldn't bring myself to pick through them removing dozens of caterpillars so the whole lot went straight in the compost
i'll be making cages for next year and using very fine mesh and keeping my fingers crossed ........

Can you get home from lottie 1st??!!

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx

No lottie sadly so no problem there. Would be smelly if you had to travel back from lottie by car. I suppose you could use a disposable or waterproof suit thing. I guess the fact that we have tried other barrier methods this year speaks volumes.

Ee well, back to the drawing board

Have fun,

TGR