Why can't I grow cabbages?

[Ilikepumpkins]

I have always had a problem with growing cabbages. I have some over-wintering plants in at the moment, and something is eating them. It looks like caterpillars, but I can't see any, and surely it is the wrong time of year for caterpillars?

Any thoughts on what I can do?

Cheers.

[jacob marley]

I have always had a problem with growing cabbages. I have some over-wintering plants in at the moment, and something is eating them. It looks like caterpillars, but I can't see any, and surely it is the wrong time of year for caterpillars?

Any thoughts on what I can do?

Cheers.

I would not mind betting that the catterpillars that are eating your cabbage have got feathers on and have wings ie- pigeons unless you cover them with some sort of net if not they will scoff the lot jacob

[todayiwillbemostlygrowing]

Hi I did have caterpillars eating my cabbage leaves about a month ago, they were very tiny green ones. You will need to check the underside of your leaves for them, then pick them off and destroy them. I did have to keep doing this for a number of weeks before they had all gone. I have no idea whether they would still be active in November though.

[rustylady]

Could be snails - pigeons strip the leaves back to the stalks. If the damage is lacy holes then if you can't see caterpillars it's probably snails. They climb, whereas slugs tend to stay at ground level.

[andrewo]

I don't know, there are caterpillars still working in my garden and the birds are having a field day with them. It has been mild.

[Minty]

Yep i`m in the same boat. Still battling with caterpillars on my Duncan spring cabbages. Must be a new mutant hardy type as we have had a t least 4 good frosts here in Derby.

[Alice]

Ilikepumpkins, I think you have to give us a bit more detail about your problems growing cabbages. What kind of damage are they suffering ? Tell us more and I'm sure somebody will have the answer to your problem.

[vegnut]

If it's slugs or snails then look for the tell tale slime trails, if it;s caterpillars then you would find them under the leaves. They would take on a colour very similar to the veg they are noshing on. My bet is the same as jacob marley, pigeons, they will do the trick every time, the little devils.

[Alice]

If it's pigeons - they're great in a red wine sauce.

[vegnut]

If it's pigeons - they're great in a red wine sauce.

He He. Nicely put Alice

[hectors]

Pigeons LOVE cabbages. Pigeons love almost anything small, in fact ¬¬

Back in the times when I had space to grow cabbages and the like, I used to put a stick, about 5 inches taller than the cabbages, on each corner of the patch. Then I would tie some strings betwen them, and them some more from side to side, thus creating a "honeycomb" pattern that prevented the winged suckers from landing in the patch.

Worked well for me... guess you can take them out with a BB or even a .22, but I just hate killing!

[Flummery]

I net most young veg - we live in a farming area and the pigeons just thrive here.

[hectors]

Another advantage of using nets or any other cover instead of killing the flying predators... birds eat a lot of bugs! And they are very fond of snails and caterpillars.

[Flummery]

If your net is fine enough the insects can't get in - so you don't get caterpillars on - they do need to be VERY fine though. Enviromesh does the trick.

[Cutecumber]

I put netting over my spring cabbages - the pigeons sat on it and ate the greens through the mesh, breaking several of the leaves and ruining half the crop.

How would they like it if I hung around the bird feeder and took their seed???