Brassica Disaster

[girl47]

My first year on my new plot - All my Brassicas have failed. Catapillars have eaten all brussels foliage, & cauli curds look black & small - Broccoli eaten by catapillars and cabbage look the right shape & size, but look covered in some sort of mold ...as well as catalpillars.
Did cover with netting....but obviously not well enough.....will try harder next year.

Two questions:
If I leave brussel plants in ( no foliage left) will they recover & produce???
Should I pull all plants up? If so , do I compost or should I dig in?

All Advise welcome.

[Capsid]

Unless you need the space then I'd persevere with the sprouts, they do continue to grow new leaves which can nourish the developing spouts, but they may be small.

I'd compost your brassicas, they need to rot properly.

If you can, buy a small mesh netting such as environmesh. It is dearer than the rest but you can reuse it year after year.

[girl47]

Thanks Mark

I'll leave the brussels alone then & hope for the best!
Not sure what happen to the caulis & cabbage to cause them to'rot'...If anyonbe has any ideas??? I like to learn, so that I can get it right next time.

Gill

[Capsid]

Thanks Mark

I'll leave the brussels alone then & hope for the best!
Not sure what happen to the caulis & cabbage to cause them to'rot'...If anyonbe has any ideas??? I like to learn, so that I can get it right next time.

Gill

What were the cabbages like under the mould? Usually it is only the outer leaves that get this, the rest of the plant is quite edible. The mould is due to high humidity due to the rain, it's just not been sunny enough. Are they growing in a shady place?

[garygc2008]

Same happened to all mine too. You sure have to watch out for them cabbage white butterfly's! Strangely my cabbage also went mouldy. Also have some kind of slimy infestation in the middle. Thought is was frogs sporn at first, but on closer inspection it was some sort of caterpillar ( can't spell ) egg/larvae.

[Two_Sheds]

Not sure what happen to the caulis & cabbage to cause them to'rot'...

Probably slug/snail damage. They get right in between the leaves and do a lot of damage

[dwrudd]

I suffered the first year I grew brassica's with caterpillars wreaking havoc. So, since then I use a makeshift tunnell which works brilliantly.

Blue, water pipe, available from most building sites as scrap leftovers if you ask the builders. Cut into 2.5m lengths and shove a dowel up each end to form a peg to stick into the ground.

Green scaffold netting is usually available from the same building sites or a local builders merchant.

Push the dowels into the bed to form a tunnell effect about every 5 feet or so. Plant your brassicas under the hoops and throw over the netting. The net is 3m wide as standard and so it leaves a good overlap to put a few bricks on the edges. Each end just needs gathering and tying with a cable tie and it pegs down to a point.

Not only does it keep out the butterflies, it lets in the sun and rain, but makes a great microclimate in which the plants do great.

Next year, pull up the hoops and move to your next location. Job Done.

It really works for me, I will try and post some photo's if this is not too clear.
Darren.