Help caterpillars

[rick_the_novice]

I feel a bit of a plonker about this. I have been hit by caterpillars on my cabbages ,and this being my first year, I knew to expect something to go wrong. They have had a bit of a feast. I have bought a spray "Ultimate Bug Killer" and sprayed this week, and I was told only one spraying per season. So apart from doing the spraying, what else can I do? Also any tips for next year?

[Aberdeenplotter]

pick them off daily is the obvious advice and the other obvious thing is to erect a barrier of some kind around the plants to keep the butterfly off. I personally use wide environmesh as that allows some height at the sides and also keeps the root fly away but fruit netting is also suitable for the butterfly

[Two_Sheds]

^ That's the ticket

Brassicas are prone to many pests ~ I think they're one of the hardest crops to grow. I've 'given up' growing them every year, yet every spring I sow more seeds ....

[Florence Fennel]

This will be the first year I've covered mine (if I ever get a round tuit). I used to patrol every day looking for the yellow eggs on the underside of the leaves, but I grow too many now to be able to do that. Prevention is better than cure Rick

[rick_the_novice]

Thanks all/ I been out today and got some fine garden fleece, and pegs. Been on patrol as well. In the words of some bloke before me... I will fight them on the beaches if it comes to it! LOL

[Comfreyfan]

Good luck Rick. My first year growing brassicas I came back from holiday to find a bed of lace - every bit of green leaf gone!!

Last year they were particularly bad here, I was leaping around the bed with a tennis racket style bug swatter while I was trying to put the plants in and get the mesh over them - glad no one was watching!

[Chef_uk]

My cabbages which were covered by some cheap mesh from Amazon has stayed pest free. The Brussels on the other hand, which are unprotected have come under intense barrage. Every day i'm rubbing off the yellow butterfly eggs, which are quite wet when disturbed yuk! picking off the odd caterpillar although none in the past 3 weeks have been spotted. And finally spraying the whitefly with soapy water.

Guess which way i'll be growing them next year

[Chef_uk]

Is a high number of flies a symptom from not covering them up? Also a smell of rotting??? Took some video from my phone to show the flies although quality isn't that great. Absolutely hundreds of hoverflies which is nice but also many other species, most of which i would associate with bad things, even wasps. Is a high number of flies a symptom from not covering them up? Also a smell of rotting??? Took some video from my phone to show the flies. Absolutely hundreds of hoverflies but also many other species.

[Two_Sheds]

those orange flies are dung flies ~ have you got manure in there somewhere?

[Alison]

I know it's a bit too late for this year but if you cover with fine mesh (I use enviromesh but others are available) as soon as you plant out you don't have to worry about butterflies, flies or anything much else (apart from slugs ). This means you don't have to spray with nasty stuff that you probably don't really want on your food - there's a reason why they say only once per season, it's not nice stuff. As others have said, you can patrol on a very frequent basis to pick off the bugs but I'm too lazy and netting is SO much easier.

[Chef_uk]

I know Alison, its already on my xmas list

No manure Twosheds :/

[Two_Sheds]

I get loads of flies like that when I'm splashing the comfrey tea around. You haven't got a dead rat or something have you?

You need to whip off all those yellow & dead leaves too

[Chef_uk]

No rat. Also removed the dead leaves and that did seem to reduce the whiff somewhat. I'm actually quite amazed at them still going strong. I've had one bolt though but the rest are forming nice sprouts lower down. God only knows if they will be edible or not lol.

Where the yellow leaves have fallen off (30cm-40cm from the ground up), the sprouts are forming. Is this a natural occurance or should a healthy Brussels plant keep all of its leaves intact?