Help fixing a very stupid mistake

[Guapa1]

Morning, really hope I can get some advice on what to do.

I had too many vegetable plants for the greenhouse and put some outside. They started to get holes in them, so I made some space and put them back in before I went on a little holiday. I've come back and pretty much everything looks like the plants I bought in from the garden. I realise now that I shouldn't have bought those pots back into the greenhouse.

Can I simply cut off the leaves and try to regrow or do I need to get rid of everything? I'm gutted.
Here are some pictures. I've tried to add them to the post but I can't seem to so here's a link.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlSa0DPH...ealthytortoise

Thank you in advance

[veggiechicken]

Can you see what caused the damage? Any caterpillars or eggs?
Are they all brassicas?

EDIT Just realised there are several photos and you have a couple of different problems.
I'd take all the plants with holes out of the GH and check them for pests. The stumps aren't worth saving IMO.
The ?cucumbers have spotted leaves. Give them a feed and they should recover. The old leaves are just that, old and tired. They've done their job.

[Martin H]

The white butterflies have been after them.

I don't cut the leaves off, I look carefully at every leaf on each plant in turn, pick off the little green caterpillars that are hiding under the leaves and squish any butterfly eggs that haven't hatched yet.

The tiny white pointy eggs that are laid singly hatch into little green caterpillars that pretend to be leaf veins and stalks, while the yellow eggs in clusters hatch into black and yellow caterpillars that roam around in gangs. It takes time, but if you get them all the plants will recover just fine.

I find it helps to hold the plant up to the light after I think I've got all the caterpillars, the light shines through the leaf and snows up the ones I've missed as shadows.

You will probably have to repeat the process after a few days to get all the ones you missed.

I have some very similar looking cabbage plants at the moment, the butterflies get into the greenhouse through the roof vents. More organised people than me would probably have put a net over...


(edit) just seen the other pictures The last picture of the skeleton might be too far gone, but I can see at least three of the green caterpillars just finishing their feast. I would still pick them off and see if the plant recovers.

I don't know what's been after the cucumber/squash things, there'll probably be an expert along in a bit.

[Guapa1]

Can you see what caused the damage? Any caterpillars or eggs?
Are they all brassicas?

EDIT Just realised there are several photos and you have a couple of different problems.
I'd take all the plants with holes out of the GH and check them for pests. The stumps aren't worth saving IMO.
The ?cucumbers have spotted leaves. Give them a feed and they should recover. The old leaves are just that, old and tired. They've done their job.

Thank you. Taking a closer look I can see that there are catapillars on the leaves. I’ll throw out the purple sprouting broccoli.

[Guapa1]

The white butterflies have been after them.

I don't cut the leaves off, I look carefully at every leaf on each plant in turn, pick off the little green caterpillars that are hiding under the leaves and squish any butterfly eggs that haven't hatched yet.

The tiny white pointy eggs that are laid singly hatch into little green caterpillars that pretend to be leaf veins and stalks, while the yellow eggs in clusters hatch into black and yellow caterpillars that roam around in gangs. It takes time, but if you get them all the plants will recover just fine.

I find it helps to hold the plant up to the light after I think I've got all the caterpillars, the light shines through the leaf and snows up the ones I've missed as shadows.

You will probably have to repeat the process after a few days to get all the ones you missed.

I have some very similar looking cabbage plants at the moment, the butterflies get into the greenhouse through the roof vents. More organised people than me would probably have put a net over...


(edit) just seen the other pictures The last picture of the skeleton might be too far gone, but I can see at least three of the green caterpillars just finishing their feast. I would still pick them off and see if the plant recovers.

I don't know what's been after the cucumber/squash things, there'll probably be an expert along in a bit.

Thank you. When I looked at the pictures I could see the caterpillars as well. So looks like I’ll be pest hunting today.

[Nannysally99]

If it’s not slugs it’s caterpillars
Ate my broccoli and sprouts last year

[Guapa1]

One broccoli pot 15 caterpillars. This is going to be a long afternoon!

[nickdub]

Can't you put a note out for the birds saying "Free caterpillars" ?

[Guapa1]

Can't you put a note out for the birds saying "Free caterpillars" ?

Don't get me started on birds. I accidently left the greenhouse door open one night and not only did they eat my strawberries, they left their mess on the floor.

The only thing left of the 3 purple sprouting broccoli plants were stumps so I've thrown them out.
The caterpillars were everywhere. Found a baby one on the tomato feed bottle!
Well I've taken everything out and inspected each plant. I've taken off all the ones I could see and shaking each leaf loosened the baby ones I didn't see. I rubbed the back of each leaf with my gardening gloves to hopefully kills the eggs. While everything was out I gave it a wash and brush.

[nickdub]

gardening's a very relaxing hobby - sometimes :-)

[Bluenowhere]

My purple sprouting broccoli looked almost exactly like the stems you were left with (slugs rather than catapillers though). I kept them and they have recovered just fine. The slugs ate the whole batch so I had no option but to try and salvage them so unless you have others that haven’t been eaten don’t give up too quickly.

[Guapa1]

My purple sprouting broccoli looked almost exactly like the stems you were left with (slugs rather than catapillers though). I kept them and they have recovered just fine. The slugs ate the whole batch so I had no option but to try and salvage them so unless you have others that haven’t been eaten don’t give up too quickly.

Thank you. I've already got rid of the one with no leaves, but I've kept the other ones so I hope they do recover.

[muck lover]

Guapa you have won the battle but not the war. You will have to go back and repeat your killing spree regularly as its amazing how many of the wee b****rs you miss.