Cabbage

[bearded bloke]

white butterflies,yes I know they are not in season now but thinking back to the summer,they stripped my green varieties of Brussels sprout seedlings but completely ignored the red varieties .Which has got me wondering if they would be less likely to munch on red cabbage varieties as well

[horticultural_hobbit]

I had red ones, and they got munched on. Seriously considering abandoning cabbages altogether. We like cabbages, but i just can't beat the critters who like them more than we do.

[Sheneval]

HH - I put a cage with debris netting round them on both my daughter's plot and my own and had no problems - good luck

[Bill HH]

Just a quick side question, why do they call it debris netting?

[horticultural_hobbit]

I have veggie mesh and hort fleece, Shen. Covered all plants with that and used blue pellets of doom. Can't win! Though pops is volunteering planks of wood to build a cage. So we might still have some.


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[Bren In Pots]

Just a quick side question, why do they call it debris netting?

It's used on scaffolding to protect people and passing cars from falling debris.

[marchogaeth]

I think the theory is that birds can spot green on red more easily, it's certainly easier for us humans. In my experience the caterpillars hide for most of the day anyway munching away. I've grown purple cauli's on the same basis. Now I've invested in veggie mesh on permanent frames (a pain to store) and that helps but some butterflies actually got down at ground level and squeezed in. Nature - red in tooth and claw whatever colour your veg!

[chris]

Only way I've managed to grow some is by raising in modules until quite late then planting out and covering straight away.

I


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[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Got let down by somebody knocking up a cage for myself this last season, so the cabbage were a bit of a disaster! Although we did get a few!



But take your point about the cabbage white tending not to bother that much with the red one's BB!



As seen here, they decimated the white cabbage but hardly touched the red one's!

And these were previous season's, netted in enviromesh the very second after planting out!



Nigh on perfect! so defoe netting, netting and more netting for me next season!

[bearded bloke]

Yep,that's the sort of effect I meant Deano ........




Mine end up with netting on due to the "flying rats" but like to actually see things growing in the garden rather than coverings when possible

[Sheneval]

I also use environmesh but debris netting costs a fraction of the price - I got the latter for under �40 for 3mx50m whereas the former cost �30+ for 3mx10m. Either works with overwintering onions and the debris doubled over provided a good windbreak roundthe sweetcorn.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Current cabbage carnage. There are two in there hearted up actually


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[horticultural_hobbit]

I really don't know what's going on. Popped down to see what needed to be put out of its misery




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[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Cheers "Sheneval" Just been checking out that Debris netting! may give that a bash next year! Tis far cheaper! (Being a Yorkshireman)

HH, There's always "Next Year"

[Sheneval]

Deano - and it's easy to clean at the end of the year using a power hose although you have to pick out anything growing through it beforehand