Covering Brassica's

[northumberlandboy]

Hi All,

Is it essential to cover all Brassica's with a net / mesh? If so, is it all types. Or will some benefit more than others?
I planning on putting in Cabbage, Cauliflowers, Broccoli and Sprouts. (All are currently started off in plugs etc)

Gary

[shirlthegirl43]

It is not essential to cover brassicas, it is done to keep the cabbage white butterflies off. They lay eggs on the plants and these hatch into caterpillars which have a darned good munch of your crop and are really difficult to get out which means there is a risk of you eating meat along with your veggies

[janeyo]

I have my brassica bed covered with net but was wondering when I can take it off? Or does it have to stay on til harvest? Are the butterflies seasonal?

janeyo

[shirlthegirl43]

I would say keep the net on until harvest. Make sure no plants are touching the net or the darling flutterbys will lay through the net and the purpose is negated.

[northumberlandboy]

Thanks both

[jacob marley]

If you have a pigeon problem you will need the net left on that is only reason i cover brassicas we have a Pigeon problem jacob

[Two_Sheds]

Brassicas secrete a chemical that actually attracts the Cabbage White and Cabbage Moth (and possibly the Pigeon also).
The only sure-fire way to keep them off is to net, but you MUST do it properly. You must also allow for the net to be removed for weeding purposes. It must not rest on the plants, but be suspended a good few inches off them (and allow for them growing to about 3 foot tall). This year I am using Debris Netting (70p a metre off eBay ... I bought the 2m but now wish I'd got the 3 metre width).

[Gwyndy]

When I took over my allotment some years ago I proudly planted out my home grown broccoli and cauliflowers. One of the older allotmenteers suggested that I should net them. I ignored his advice and exactly one week later all I had in the ground were a couple of dozen green stalks!! Pigeons had taken the lot. Now I always net the brassicas right up to harvest. This year I have made some simple frames using treated lath (from Wickes - about £4.25 for a pack of 8 pieces x 1.8 mtrs long) and covered them with 24" wide chicken netting. Over the top is a length of 2 mtr wide plastic netting tied on to the frames. The frames are low enough to step over to do the weeding and can be removed and stored during the winter. (I made 6 frames in one afternoon and these are arranged in a two down x one across formation. In that space I have 12 caulis and 12 broccoli plants.)

[pjh75]

If you have a pigeon problem you will need the net left on that is only reason i cover brassicas we have a Pigeon problem jacob

I was gonna mention pigeons... we don't have a major problem, but I witnessed a cheeky pigeon tugging at my broccoli we had the kitchen door wide open, were standing in the kitchen looking out and it still landed only feet away from us.

[Snadger]

I grow all my brassicas 100% of the time under netting. We garden on the edge of woodland and the woodpigeons decend from the trees for to feast on newbies brassicas when we leave. Not mine though!

[heebiejeebie]

Like most of the others here - I have to net my brassicas or the pigeons take the lot!

[Winged one]

Another sufferer of pigeons here. So we net from seedlings (having grown as plugs at home) until almost harvest point (I took it off the winter brassicas about a month ago to cover the summer baby plants, and the winter ones have been fine - but they are at harvest size by now).

[vegman]

I have large conker trees down two side of my garden. I net all my deep beds for the whole season. I need to defend myself against cats, squirrels, pigeons, Butterflies and small birds who like to take a dust bath just where I sow seeds. Not in between the rows but exactley on centre - How do they know?

Pity is the hedgehogs cant get in for the slugs

Vegman