Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Fooling the cabbage whites?

Collapse

X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Fooling the cabbage whites?

    In the back of my greenhouse, beside the tomatoes, are the left over cauliflowers, donated, by a parent, to the school veg' patch. I had already planted 8 cauliflowers out in one of the beds in the schools' patch and have been waiting for the turnips to be pulled before planting the rest of them out.

    In the meantime I have potted them on, into recycled 300ml cream pots (drainage holes had been drilled into the bottom) and slotted them into the corner of the greenhouse. I hadn't been able to keep them outside due to space and netting availablility issues . They're happily growing away but, I've been expecting to see signs of Cabbage White attention any time, as, on very hot days, I have to leave the greenhouse door open. Oddly enough though, the butterflies (off which there are now plenty) can't seem to find them.

    I know Cabbage Whites aren't adverse to popping into the odd greenhouse (munched salads 2 years ago ) but I only have sufficient netting to cover the door of the smaller greenhouse, in which I grow my salads and which is full to bursting with no room for the Cauliflowers.

    Between the cauliflowers and the greenhouse door, are pots and pots of herbs: Basil Red Leafed and Minnette; Coriander; and Oregano 'Greek'. The whole greenhouse smells of mixed herbs and I'm wondering if that's what is confusing the Cabbage Whites? They simply can't smell the Cauliflowers.

    As the school hasn't been able to get any fine mesh netting for the brassicas bed, and as the pigeons and caterpillars have already done for the caulis (and turnip leaves) I planted out, we've decided that I'll keep hold of the seedlings for now. Once my Mangetout has finished (another 2 weeks at most I reckon), I'll plant as many caulis as I can there and cover them with the enviromesh I have here. Any heads produced (unlikely I reckon but we have to try) will go back to the school.

    I'm considering setting a load more herbs going and planting the ones in the greenhouse out with the caulis. They aren't full hardy varieties but they may well last long enough to act as a smoke screen and fool the butterflies. What do you think?

    Reet (an eternal optimist )
    x

  • #2
    I haven't seen a cabbage white this year. In fact I bit the bullet a couple of weeks ago and took the netting off my brassicas. I may rue the day if there's a late influx but maybe some weather fluctuation has seen them off this year.

    Comment


    • #3
      We had hardly any cabbage whites until the last week or so. Yesterday I saw dozens of them at the allotments

      Comment


      • #4
        I saw a frustrated CW flapping round my netting today (hehe) but that was the first I've seen this year.

        Comment


        • #5
          There just haven't been many around yet this year. I saw two today (and killed half of them ) but that's all so far
          All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

          Comment


          • #6
            I had to re-net my Kale last weekend into a taller structure because theres a lot of whites around here.
            Location....East Midlands.

            Comment


            • #7
              Our Mrs Blackbird is quite adept at catching them in flight. Really impressive to watch. She's currently feeding her 3rd brood of the year and I'm happy for her to have as many CWs as she likes

              Definitely waiting until I can get them under net before I plant them out.

              Reet
              x

              Comment


              • #8
                I wish the Mrs. Blackbirds in my garden would feed their brood on cabbage whites. They seem to prefer my cherries!!

                there are definitely far fewer CWs about this year, presumably because of last winter.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by reetnproper View Post
                  Our Mrs Blackbird is quite adept at catching them in flight. Really impressive to watch.
                  That's incredible: blackbirds are ground-feeders, I wonder how she learned to catch food on the wing?

                  Birds don't eat cabbage white caterpillars (more the pity) because they contain mustard oil from their food (brassicas) and taste nasty
                  All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post
                    That's incredible: blackbirds are ground-feeders, I wonder how she learned to catch food on the wing?

                    Birds don't eat cabbage white caterpillars (more the pity) because they contain mustard oil from their food (brassicas) and taste nasty
                    I have no idea. It's a sight to see. I never have a camera/cam-corder handy when I see her.

                    Reet
                    x

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I have a couple of cauliflowers in my flower bed and they have not been noticed by the cabbage whites either - but they are 'masked' by sweet peas, which are heavily scented too. I remember reading a post by Snadger last year, where he suggested that avoiding block planting was the way to go. I have netted the brassicas at the plot, but these were left over 'strugs' that I didn't think would come to much. Shows how much I know!

                      Comment

                      Latest Topics

                      Collapse

                      Recent Blog Posts

                      Collapse
                      Working...
                      X