Whats eating my cabbage!

[vegginout]

Hi all - i was hoping someone could help identify whats been damaging my cabbage. I went out yesterday to find the top of the heart had been munched away. I had some problems with pigeons damaging the seedlings when i planted them out so they have been covered with a net ever since. I can't find any holes in the netting but could the damage in the image be caused by a pigeon or is it something else? thanks for any help you can give.

[rustylady]

As you've netted I don't think it's a pigeon. Maybe very hungry slugs and snails??

[vegginout]

Thanks for the quick reply - maybe it is - haven't had a problem with them recently but I'll put down some pellets and see if it helps. thanks

[rustylady]

I would harvest that cabbage and eat it asap. Keep an eye on the others.

[Bigmallly]

I'd consider finer netting for next year.

[Liza]

Same thing happened to mine.... gutted

Think its slugs/snails.

[Shadylane]

Looks like it's split/burst to me, they do that if you leave em too long. You can still eat em though

[vicky]

Shadylane's right, they're not being eaten, they're splitting as they want to flower. You can pick the rest and store them as they are in a cool place. If you cut the stems you'll get mini cabbages forming in a few weeks.
I've left some of mine to experiment with eating the flower buds like brocolli.

[Shadylane]

I did that with the sprouts last season. They were sprouting flower heads and extra mini sprouts all over so we ate them. Worked a treat.

[Nicos]

I'd go with spliting too- the edges ar too even- and it's too 'clean' inside for pests.

We're trying the cut stem method this year too- hope it works!!!

[bubblewrap]

It could be rats looking at the amount that's been "nibbled".

[vegginout]

Seems like its splitting alright as i've lost another one and looks exactly like some images i found online - thanks for pointing me in the right direction! I've harvested the split heads now and whats left still taste good!