Brassica collars

[Jimmy]

Just watched Monti Don on Gardeners World plant brassicas.
No mention of brassica collars.
I note that none of my gardening books mention them.
When I was young and had an allotment I grew rows of nice cabbages and caulis, only to see some wilt in the sun. The plants were infected with cabbage root fly maggots which nibbled off the roots.
An old timer at the time suggested brassica collars, I have used these since and never had a problem (touch wood).
My collars are scooge ones. I cut a compost bag into 6 inch squares. Each is a collar. Fold in half and half again. Snip off the centre point, not very much. Open out and you will have a hole in the middle. Cut a slit from the side to the hole. Fit round your brassica black side up. Weigh down with 6 or so small stones. Job done.
Anyone eles use them?
Thanks Jimmy.

[ameno]

I never bother because I just net all my brassicas, anyway. Keeps everything away.

[Small pumpkin]

Heard of them. Never used them. Didn't realise you could make them from compost bags . I think I might give it a go. Because from what you've described of the cabbage root fly, I'm having issues with them this year. Never experienced them before.
Thank you.

[Jimmy]

Of course you could buy them!
https://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/br...0-pid2275.html
Jimmy

[Small pumpkin]

Of course you could buy them!
https://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/br...0-pid2275.html
Jimmy

That's why I've never used them tight as a ducks butt

[Bren In Pots]

I only used them the once, I was a bit to rough and decapitated some of my Kale.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I use 4"(approx) squares of carpet underlay with a cut in the centre of one side into the middle of the square and then slid around the stem of the plant. The idea is that the fly lays its eggs on the underlay where they soon dessicate instead of on the soil where they would be kept moist, hatch into maggots and burrow into the plant stem . It works for me .

I have tried using the commercially produced felt disks but I find they are too hard and cause damage to the plant stem with the same effect as damage by maggots

[mrbadexample]

I have bought some in the past, but made one today out of a bit of old linoleum.

[Penellype]

I tried them once and removed them after a couple of days. The ones I had were too small to weigh down effectively and stiff enough to act like efficient razors when the wind got under them. Several plants were decapitated before I discovered the problem.

I'd be wary of using compost bags as I'd expect these (and other materials) to be a haven for slugs. I just net everything.

[Mr Bones]

I make them as I need them out of torn rhubarb leaves, the edges are held down with compost/soil.
Rhubarb also is said to help deter club root.

[Mr H]

I just net everything.

What do you net with to prevent flies? Fleece?

Thanks Penellype

[greenishfing]

Having read this, I consider myself extremely lucky that this is the one pest that hasn't attacked my plants yet.

[Penellype]

What do you net with to prevent flies? Fleece?

Thanks Penellype

Various types of fine mesh - I have some insect mesh from the garden centre, some veggiemesh, and some scaffolding net. I'm not a fan of permanent fleece covers, although they work ok for frost. I find the fleece traps humidity and if it gets too warm plants can go mouldy.