kale decimated

[jxm]

ok, this gardening lark started off as fun but is getting annoying now (and expensive). everything seems to be following the same pattern - buy plant, plant shoots up, bugs kill it.

the latest casualty is my kale which was growing nicely, then I find they're covered in tiny catapillers, and they've laid eggs all over the place.

I tried to cut off all the leaves with them on but every day I go back out and there's more of them and less and less leaves.

Is there anyway of getting rid of the catapillers? there's so many that removing them one by one is not really an option...

[User Removed]

Try remove as many as possible and then spray them with salt water, that usually works

[jxm]

cool, thanks.

how much salt in the water? a tablespoon per litre or something like that?

does it make them disolve like slugs? at least that way I would get an added revenge bonus...

[jxm]

and how often do I have to do it? just once? daily? weekly?

[User Removed]

about a tablespoon for 2 pints, it eats them inside out, sorry

[smallblueplanet]

I think its better/easier to grow kale/cabbages/brassicas under netting of some sort - we had a make-shift 'tent' made out of bamboo canes and enviromesh at our previous place - kept lots of stuff out.

[User Removed]

We have nets over most of our brassicas to , saves all this trouble.

[jxm]

about a tablespoon for 2 pints, it eats them inside out, sorry

oh well, I'll just have to use my imagination...

I agree SBP. Netting keeps all the butterflies out. So no eggs and no caterpillars.

huh, I never really thought about how they got there... just kind of assumed they walked along the ground and climbed up the stem. guess the butterfly thing is kind of obvious when you think about it... duh...

now to see if I can rescue them in time, some of them are down to bare stalks, but other still have some leaves.

and I'm not really sure when to pick the leaves anyway - do I just keep chopping off leaves when they get big enough?

[JennieAtkinson]

Hmm I had fleece on mine and it still didn't stop them

[bramble]

Hmm I had fleece on mine and it still didn't stop them

They're persistant little b*****sJennie. I used fine netting and it di8d the trick but then the brocolli went to seed. Sometimes i think i just can't win.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hi everyone! sorry jxm but youve got the same problem as me! the pesky little blighters have eaten virtually all my cabbage, sprouts and broccoli! Made up a mix of lots of salt, chilli flakes and garlic (it made MY eyes water!) and then sprayed both sides of all leaves with it. Unfortunately the weather has been too bad here to check on progress but hopefully! Tomorrow is the big "get the caterpillars" day in my back garden - will count how many I get. Couldnt believe such small critters could cause so many probs! BUT I learn as I go along! Next year will keep these under wraps! well, will try, but the little "darlings" keep nipping under my netting - and yes, have put it down to the ground to try and stop them! little loves I dont think!
good luck with the spray - Im now making it in 2 litre batches!
dexterdog

[jxm]

I don't think this salt water thing is working... the number of them seems to have gone down, but I'm not sure if they're just past the breeding stage - or if the netting is helping stop new ones arriving, or if the salt water is effecting them, or if there's so little kale left they think it's not worth the bother...

But as a test I put a few of the leaves to one side, with a mixture of baby and fully grown catapillers - then I totally hosed them down int he salt solution, and a couple of days later they're still munching...

[jxm]

Not that there's much left of my kale after the catapillers, but what is left is covered with little black bugs.

The are small, black, shiney, (kind of like a tiny beetle) with legs and 2 sticky out things at the front.

Any idea what they are? and are they killing my kale as well or are they harmless?

[JennieAtkinson]

See the other thread, Hatred Greater than Slugs - I used a Natural Pest Control and think it might be working

[jxm]

is that the actual name of the product? I tried googling for it but it is a popular phrase...

What type/colour of box/container is it in? I'll look out for it at the garden centre...