Plant protection

[northlewer]

Hi
I've had a plot for nearly a year now but lost a lot of my veg to the usual suspects - slugs, nails, caterpillars etc.
I was wondering - particularly concerning caterpillars - if is is worth using some sort of plant protection? - cloches, fleece tunnel, net tunnel, etc.
If so - what type is best for what?
I know this is probably a long piece of string question, but any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks

[Kathie]

I am also 'new' to vegetable growing. Last year I 'laid' Fleece over the Cabbage plants only when the White Butterflies were around and had a 'clean' crop. Having said that--because I only have a small plot I was able to do this without much expense-=Hope this helps-Kathie

[northlewer]

Plant protection

Thanks Kathie, yes that does help.
Although if you just lay the fleece over the plants how do you stop the butterflies getting underneath?

[rustylady]

After this year, I'm thinking barbed wire, total fleece cover, machine gun posts, and 24 hour surveillance. Seriously, though, if the caterpillars didn't get the cabbages, then the whitefly did. I will use fleece next year, definitely. Fine mesh net should help too, but the holes will need to be small enough to stop the butterflies getting in to lay their eggs. As for anchoring, you can make "hairpins" out of wire and use these to anchor your protection into the soil. Make sure you leave enough slack to allow the plants to grow.

[Lesley Jay]

You can buy anti aphid netting which is a very fine netting from Kings. Whatever netting you use do not let the leaves touch the netting. If they do the butterflies are still able to lay their eggs on the leaves.

[Sue]

Lesley
Yes, I learned that lesson last year, if the netting touches the plants the little devils can still perform = result lots of caterpillars. Cloche hoops just don't give enough clearance, will have to rig up some sort of netted cage.
Sue

[PAULW]

On our lottie a lot of people have been using silage netting this has a very fine mesh which stops the butterflies getting in but a couple of people have found eggs laid on the netting above the cabbages so when the eggs hatched the larva would fall onto the plants, now who ever thought an insect could work that one out.

[dexterdoglancashire]

I agree with RL - despite my best efforts to keep my brassicas covered the pesky cabbage whites got in anyway - I even put bricks on the netting at the bottom to stop them, but they got in anyway! Going to take RLs advice this year - machine guns etc! DDL

[Mrs Dobby]

I thought Carole's cabbage defense of attacking the cabbage white butterfly with her pea cane whilst shouting 'Shoo' was good on the How to Grow Veg last night was excellent! Not quite sure how effective it was, but certainly looked like a good way of working out your frustration at the darn things!

[Bex]

LOL Mrs D, that made me laugh as well.

[nick the grief]

more friendly than DDT I guess

[Snadger]

Hi
........................ if is is worth using some sort of plant protection?
Thanks

Always wear a c*nd*m!

[roitelet]

Try CD's, Butterflies can't stand music

No, to be serious I hung old CD's up to keep pigeons off and I think that may be it also helped to deter the butterflies. I had some catapillers but not really that many and they seemed to be where the CD's weren't. I also planted marigolds with the brassicas and only had to spray, with washing up liquid, twice.

Some thing seemed to work

[nick the grief]

Last year I tried spraying the Brussels with table salt and water - a tablespoonful to a gallon and it seemed to work and as Brassica's are from costal plants they don't mind too much.

[Kathie]

And dont forget to 'squash' any eggs that are laid.