Chemical Control

[mbic]

After returning to veg growing after an absence of around 25 years, I was surprised at the change in chemical control that is available now.

I decided to grow caulis, only to be plagued by cabbage root fly and caterpillars. So reading up on the subject I now have to put brassica collars around each plant to deter the cabbage root fly and net the whole plot to keep the caterpillars off! The cost of netting the plot will be in the region of £80!
I don't see farmers using either methods, so I assume they have access to chemical controls that aren't available to the amateur. I think I'll carry on getting my veg from the market.

[veggiechicken]

Hello mbic and welcome to the Grapevine.
You don't need to net the whole plot - just where you're growing brassicas. Lots of Grapes have built brassica cages and tunnels out of all sorts of bits and pieces. I'm sure someone will be along soon to tell you how they've done it
It would really help us if you could put your location in your profile please. Thanks.

[Greenleaves]

Welcome Mbic..I use a combination of debris netting and plastic watermain pipe, net curtains are just as effective and like VC says you dont need to cover the whole plot, just those plants at risk.

[Barking Postlethwaite]

Here's my humble brassica cage. The frame is made of canes joined by short lengths of old hosepipe. The net I got for free, but our local pound shop has similar so you could make this for well less than a fiver. I've had another one covering strawberries too.

Even so I don't bother with cauliflower - there are some things I find to be so susceptible to pest, disease and other misfortune as to not be worth bothering with.

[mbic]

Thanks people

[Two_Sheds]

net the whole plot ...£80!

As already pointed out, you only need to net the crops which are affected by flying pests:

- carrots
- brassicas
- alliums
- strawbs (blackbirds)

Most of us now use debris netting or old net curtains, available for much less than £80

[Mr Bones]

Hi mbic and welcome to the vine. We use debris netting (disposable item for scaffold companies so can be picked up for zero cost) and make collars from rhubarb leaves.

[Alison]

I only use fine net (enviromesh in my case but net curtains work just as well) for my brassicas and carrots and also net my strawberries with wider spaced stuff. No need to do anything else round here but you do need to net alliums in some parts of the country and peas as well I believe. I would much rather net than use nasty chemicals on things that I'm going to put in my body and personally avoid any chemical additives as much as possible as I fully believe they have far more detrimental effects than positive ones.

On a positive note, if you cover your brassicas with fine mesh then you don't need any collars as the net does both jobs.

[BigV]

Last year I pulled up all my brassicas as I could not stand the caterpillars ! However I have been told that purple leaved varieties are safe so I am trying 6 red cabbages.So far no pests! But the pigeons are a pest and they attacked my purple leaved kohl rabbi.I do hate netting as the birds sometime get caught.I shall the old CDs again.


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