Swedes .. going to start again

[leicestershirelass]

.. so would appreciate your advice. My current batch of swedes has been ravaged by something (flies, beetles, slugs - not sure which as not been able to catch them in the act). Some of you very kindly advised on a previous thread.

As the said swedes now look so pitiful I've decided to start all over again ... I've got quite a few spare ones in my polytunnel, well will have when I've thinned them out.

So ... when I've cleared out the current lot, shall I put them in the same open ground?

How should I prepare the ground to try and prevent the same happening again?

I've got some of that black material stuff - do you think I should put that down and slit holes in for the plants?

I've also got one of those minicloches - do you think this will deter slugs and airborne attacks?

Any advise on how to successfully rear the next batch of swedes would be very welcome.

Thanks

[burnie]

The local farmers near me grow them under fleece for the organic market,I don't grow brassicas as the caterpillars eat more than I do.

[Rocketron]

As burnie said, it's probably caterpillars. You need netting fine enough that cabbage white butterflies can't squeeze through.

[leicestershirelass]

Thanks for the tips ... finally caught some of the blighters in the act ... it was
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Slugs chomping away at them ....

[Twinkle]

aye - the slugs have laid waste to mine as well
Why can't they just eat one or two rather than munching a hole into each one... I planted about 40 as well.
Going to use/freeze the best ones and offer the remainder to my mate with cows for fodder

[bobleponge]

I have grown swedes for the last couple of years with reasonable success. Why the slugs didnt eat them I'll never know as they seemed to tuck in to most other stuff I grow.

I only ever grow about a dozen, cos I dont eat that many in a year, and are so cheap to buy anyway, but ...

I grow mine in a raised bed, filled predominantly with well rotted horse and cow manure, garden compost and a few general purpose grow bags. The beds are refilled with rotted manure every winter and dug over.
They are sown direct into the soil, they arent covered in any way, just left to their own devices.
I think its just a question of luck that I get mine to grow and get them in the freezer, and bad luck that you dont. Slugs are a real menace, as you have found out, but there are ways of managing them, both eco friendly and otherwise.

[zazen999]

I've just had to resow as the ones I had sown a while back were munched by cabbage whites - one day they looked fine and the next - just stalks. :

Mine are in modules and as soon as they are big enough will go into the next patch of ground at the lottie; with slug pellets aplenty and netting.

We use loads of them and I am a tad annoyed with myself, as some had been sown for Piglet Willie and I was due to drop them at his last week

[Incy]

Is there still time to resow. I can't find mine! As they were planted under a net I am assuming slugs!

[zazen999]

No idea!!!

They grow pretty fast so might be ready a bit later than usual but if I remember rightly, I planted mine out this time last year and they were about 3-4 inches high so my thinking is with netting over them [which does bring the temperature up a tad], they might well catch up over the autumn/winter...........

[marathon]

I've just had to resow as the ones I had sown a while back were munched by cabbage whites - one day they looked fine and the next - just stalks. :

....We use loads of them and I am a tad annoyed with myself, as some had been sown for Piglet Willie and I was due to drop them at his last week

Ditto

I'm going to sow some in my polytunnel today in a hope that they will have more of a chance.

[SarzWix]

Thanks for the reminder With all the rain we've had in the last few days, I'm guessing that the organic slug pellets will have disappeared by now, best get some more out before the slugs start having a party in mine too...
Funnily enough, the cabbage whites don't seem to bother mine, I usually net all my brassicas but I've never netted the swedes, and they've never been bothered? I think it might be because they go into what will be next year's brassica bed, along with whatever's still in it (this year it's lettuces and a load of flowers including Tagetes) so perhaps they get confused?! By the time I plant things like PSB in there, the butterflies have gone for the winter

[Alison]

My swedes are in the same bed as my kale and a few red cabbages but were only netted after I planted the kale and cabbage by which time I'm guessing the butterflies had done their worst. Spent yesterday squashing about 50 odd caterpillars but think that I may have got in there quickly enough (fingers crossed anyway).

[leicestershirelass]

update

glad to say latest batch of swedes ok, in fact pulled one up on Sunday and did swede, carrot and potato mash ... all from homegrown veg ... wonderful