when to expose ya brussels?

[piskieinboots]

following my eagerness early in the year and all my sprouts being gourment fodder for the pigeons, I grew a replacement crop and put a net clouche over them. They are now touching the 'ceiling' .... so when is it safe to unlease them to the elements...... how tall do they need to be to stop being pleasant pickings for darn pigeons??

[stanhol]

Hi Cropper, you need to start hardening them off, gradually increasing the time in the open over the next two weeks. Mine had a nightmare with wind rock even after hardening off etc, now moved to new home, staked and extra compost added, look ok now!

Not sure how you keep pigeons off, apart from physical barriers????? Dont forget to check every couple of days ynder the leaves for those pesky pests that lay eggs,give em a good squash between your fingers and kill the lot! Also look down into the `heart ` of the brussels for anything that needs kiling!

Good luck,

Sandra

[di]

having same problem as you piskie,from what th'ole boys at lottie say the only safe way is to keep them covered!we cant keep up with how much net we're needing!last night i noticed that my latest sowing of peas were popping up~an occasion that'd normally get me all excited~instead a mad rush trying to find bits & bobs to keep the pigeons at bay~Think next year might just be easier to put a cage round the whole plot!LOL

[moggssue]

Pigeons?? I thought it was rabbits eating my peas, beans and sprouts??

I'd keep em covered if you can Piskie, having lost my first lot of crops myself I'm not planning on exposing anything if I can help it! Good luck ....

[Winged one]

I only have brussels this year, but last year I had brassicas in all winter and I only took the net off them about 6-8 weeks ago when I put the new ones in and needed the net on another bed. Most of them were ok but the pigeons still had a go at the cabbages at that stage (they being fully grown by then).

If you can, I'd put higher stakes and keep them covered for as long as possible.

[Mikey]

I have a slightly more philosophical approach, if you cover everything, then you stop beneficial animals from getting at the pests already in there with your crop. You win some and lose some, this year I have lost some beans and some tatties to bugs, but they also inhabit my micro climate and to them I am just a lodger.

[moggssue]

Mikey - I tried that approach at first. I was worried about the 'good bugs' not being able to get in if I netted, but after losing my first lot of peas, french beans, borlotti beans, calabrese, AND sprouts I'm determined to keep the second lot for myself and not share with the local wildlife. The mesh on the nets is quite wide so I reckon the smaller insects can still get in there, just the rabbits and birds who cant.

[lynda66]

sorry to hijack, if the resident wood pigeons in my garden have plenty of food, will they still go for the veggies? they always have homemade bread and seed available

Lynda xx

[ski_tzo]

Picked up some reduced Brussell sprout seeds today

is it too late to plant them to be ready for christmas?

[piskieinboots]

is it too late to plant them to be ready for christmas?

nope, get em in and make sure you really firm them in