material you use for cabbage collar...

[lmayhow]

Hello again typical novice many questions.

I am off to garden centre tuesday to gather remaining items required to plant out first veg patch. I have been reading about apparently placing collars around the stem of cabbage (filderkraut) plants to stop root flies laying eggs. My book talks about carpet underlay do people really pop down to their local carpet store or have you guys been using any different material?

Thank you!!!!

[roitelet]

Cardboard works.

[Containergardener]

Is it just for cabbage ? What are they for ?(I see root fly mentioned but any other brassica ?)

[SaraJH]

I cheated and have bought cabbage collars but I've often thought that circular sandpaper discs would work just as well.

Some thin underlay would work, use a CD as a template to cut the collars to shape.

[Tripmeup]

Cardboard for me

[Bren In Pots]

Be careful whatever you use because I find it really easy to decapitate my plants.

[Cadalot]

I have bought them in the past but now I cut holes in my weed membrane to plant through the left over circles of weed membrane make perfect cabbage collars, and they are soft so no decapitation.

[SusieG]

Have used bought ones before and made my own from cut out discs of cardboard (which were equally as good as the comparatively expensive shop bought ones)
Just need to make sure you make the cut from diameter into the centre so you can carefully place it over your growing brassica.

[lmayhow]

Thank you everyone have brought actual collars this year (first year growing) to have a look and see what I cann make in the future.... do you put them on all brassicas? I will be growing cabbage, couple of cauliflower, sprouting broccoli annd some kale....

[Aberdeenplotter]

I use 4" squares of underlay with a slot cut into the centre. Slow but I get there eventually.

As in underlay underlay, arriva arriva. . seriously though,it does work. Doesn't stop the flies laying eggs. They lay on top of the underlay where the eggs dry up and shrivel.

[Mr Bones]

I use a piece of torn rhubarb leaf.