Help please

[8875june]

Please could someone help …

When is it safe to remove the nets from Brussels sprouts?

I have grown a different variety this year, in pop-up net cages which are4ft high. The plants are so tall and so large, they keep falling over. I am struggling to support them properly inside the net cages

[Jungle Jane]

Are they actually falling over,they need to be solid in the ground,wind rock can stop them producing sprouts or is it just the cage that falls I don’t know. If the cage is ruining them take it off,I’m not sure if the diamondback moths still around but it will just lay eggs on the leaves which is better than falling over plants. There’s a graph here from the 90s that shows the moths activity,lavae still around in Sept/Oct,but that was years ago,does it go on temperature for these insects probably.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7074397/

[ameno]

Moths are active later in the year than butterflies are, though, as moths are more cold tolerant (due to greater fat reserves).

To be honest, I would uncover them now if they are really getting too large for their covers. There might be the odd butterflies still about, but most are gone by now. I've had my purple sprouting plants uncovered since I planted them out on 7th August and they've had only two clutches of eggs laid across all 12 plants since then.

Be prepared to re-cover them later in the winter when pigeons start attacking, though. When they start depends on the area you live in, but it tends not to be until later in winter as brassicas are not a food pigeons actually like that much - it's a food of last resort when other food sources run out. For me, they always start in early February.
You can just throw some net over the plants and pin down the corners for pigeons, though. Unlike with butterflies, complete seamless coverage is not necessary, as pigeons will not venture underneath the netting (they don't like to go anywhere they can't take off from).

[mrsbusy]

Yes I have learnt my lesson this year re netting....I had 8 lovely brassica plants which I covered with enviromesh. Went away for a week and came back to huge caterpillar infestation (large cabbage white) 3 Daubentons kale right next to them completely free of caterpillars!
But pruned off all affected leaves and left uncovered - this was last week. And frequent inspection of leaves for new eggs. Think I caught them just in time as still small but so many!!
Next year....a cage structure - seems the butterflies will get through the tiniest gap.
Pigeons eh? I see a lot of them on the lottie. Maybe I'll get the cage before next year!

[8875june]

Thank you all for your advice.

Some of the plants were falling over and because the net cages are only 4ft high I cannot get large enough canes in to support them. At the moment they are propped up with canes diagonally, taking the weight. I have never known Brussel sprouts plants this large before, but many of my vegetables have gone crazy this summer.

Uncovering them early and checking for eggs is not really an option for me as I am registered severely sight impaired.

If it still too soon, I’ll have to wait another month before uncovering them and hope they hold up.

[jacksnowdon]

The netting should be removed from Brussels sprouts once the sprouts have reached their full size, which typically takes around 90-180 days depending on the variety. To prevent plants from falling over, use stakes or other support structures inside the net cages.