Cauliflowers and pigeons.

[cheops]

Great to have found a site which is friendly and so many people willing to share their experience and knowledge. So [for now at least] posting my last problem.

I sowed some cauliflower seeds in early May - they germinated well and doing great. A few weeks later I sowed the main bulk of my cauliflower seeds. Again they germinated well and flourished. Then disaster. Ignoring the larger plants, wild woodpigeons descend down every morning and graze on them [you would think they had been attacked by locusts]. I have some light netting which will solve this from now and onwards. My question is - now protected will thes poor plants [what's left of them] recover and mature or am I best to pull them out, sow some new seeds and of course keep them netted.

[TinyT]

If they've just nibbled the outer leaves, they maybe okay. If it is just the leaves, I'd cover them with fleece so they can't help themselves to the rest of the plant and put up some cassette tape to scare them away.

[Cloud]

As TinyT says if the have only touched the outer leaves then they should be ok.If they have damaged the centers then maybe I would replace them.

[Flummery]

Pigeons love brassicas. We have to cover everything here. If the growing tip is nibbled out there's no hope I'm afraid. And they do like the growing tip - it's the most tender and succulent bit! We have built 'pigeon cages' with wooden frames covered in fine gauge chicken wire (maybe I mean 'anti-pigeon cages'!). Everyone on our allotment site has them - that's the problmm with being in a farming area - when they are sick of peas and field beans they come into the gardens and allotment looking for a bit of brassica - any type will do.

I hope they've only nibbled your leaves. If not, you'll have to get the seed packet out again.