brassicas eaten by pigeons

[Julesb]

Hi everyone
First real post (just introduced myself on new members section)
Planted lots of brassica plants out last week and they have all been eaten (didnt realise how many pigeons on site!!!!). Most of leaves gone but stems look ok. Is there any chance (if i net them) of leaves growing back and plants surviving or should I just pull them up and start again. Lots more questions to ask as really new to this so many thanks in advance.

[heebiejeebie]

Depends how much is left. Try both - net what's left and sow some more just in case.

[matthew2riches]

no leaves means the plants cannot photosynthesise so they will die as energy cannot be produced for the plant.

as heebiejeebie says: "Try both - net what's left and sow some more just in case"

Good Luck!

[Flummery]

I've never had them come back when the leaves have been stripped. I never put out brassicas without netting them as we have lots of pigeons round here - they make a good living on the farm fields round about. All part of the learning curve! If you live near a pound shop you can get cheap green netting there. Support it on short canes with yoghurt or plastic pop bottledon top. Do secure it at the base and check regularly so that the little birds don't fall foul of it though.

[baggyman]

I have lots of trouble with the flying rats, but apart from netting is there any other way of getting rid of them?

[piskieinboots]

oh how I feel for you Julesb - last week I planted out 18 brussel sprout babies, they were looking really strong and healthy ....just got back for lottie having found all 18 in stalk condition only .......nasty nasty pigeons

As Flums says, learning curve for us

[jacob marley]

If the growing tip is still there they have a chance if not they have had it .
I rescued some sprouts once but the growing tip was still there hang a few CD's about the plot that some time's keeps them away jacob

[jackie j]

The same thing happened to me when i put in my winter cabbages. I thought about snails slugs etc but not pigeons, for different reasons i lost 3 lots then gave up. Planted more cabbges ( 20 plants ) last week made sure i netted them have still lost 2 dont know to what.

[Sue]

Hi
When you're new everyone warns you about slugs but not pigeons. So my advice to anyone starting out is beware of pigeons - cover and net your crops. I lost a lot - entire gooseberry crop for a start to the little blighters, very downheartening when you're starting out.

It's also the downside of providing a wildlife pond (ie upturned dustbin lid.) Usually around 4.45pm - 5pm two pigeons whom we've called the Reverend and Mrs Treader would come for a drink and look around for a little snack to go with it. Not any longer....

Sue

[Paulottie]

I have lots of trouble with the flying rats, but apart from netting is there any other way of getting rid of them?

Shotgun works well....the wood pigeons taste good too! Don't suppose you want to stand guard or upset the natives though. In short No- you need to cover them up and even keep the net away from the plants-I have seen them sit on the net and bounce it down to peck through it. In this cold weather your crops will seem even more attractive to pigeon once there is not much to eat.

Planted lots of brassica plants out last week and they have all been eaten (didnt realise how many pigeons on site!!!!). Most of leaves gone but stems look ok. Is there any chance (if i net them) of leaves growing back and plants surviving or should I just pull them up and start again. Lots more questions to ask as really new to this so many thanks in advance.

With young plants I am afraid that they will not grow back. At the back end of the summer/autumn however, I sometimes return from holiday to find my purple sprouting and brussels have been grazed by pigeons and caterpillers and those established ones do. Infact it happened this year I renetted and have the bushiest best sprouting yet.

[Two_Sheds]

The pigeons have ignored my plot until this cold snap. Now they are ravishing my purple sprouting. CDs don't bother them, nor do rattling tin cans on strings.
Netting - they just sit on it and eat through the holes.
The only thing that keeps them off is a turret affair made of chicken wire, that I have bent into a cone shape. Even though they can't now eat the crop, they sit on the wire and cr@p on the plants instead, as if to say "if I can't eat it, neither will you, yah boo sucks"

[Mike and Louise]

We had the same problem last year and the plants died.
We live near woods and havn't even seen so much as a wood pigeon. However, as soon as the cabbages were in leaf, they arrived lol.

Now we use netting to keep them off.

[Julesb]

Hi everyone and many thanks for all your replies. Had to work last night and weather been really bad today so not had chance to net whats left. Will decide on weds when I'm back at plot whether its worth a try or not. Have already planted some more seeds and I will learn by my mistakes. Thanks to everyone for being so friendly. Sure I will have lots more questions to ask!!!

[vincent villa]

Shotgun works well...

[la cebolla grande]

What makes it even more galling is that pigeons generally only go for brassicas in March/April when there is little else for them to eat. They don't even like brassicas much - and it takes their guts 2 weeks or so to get 'used' to eating brassicas!!!

Apart from netting (good), and scaring (only good if regular) another method - used by commercial growers - is to grow a 'sacrificial' crop - something the winged rats would rather eat (like a grain plant). This only works, of course, if you have the space to do so.

My lovely Sutherland Kale made it through the summer and winter - caterpillars and all - un-netted and survived brilliantly. In 3 days they stripped the lot...........

LCG