what stops the cabbage white caterpillars?

Lotus-eater

Have a read through some of these.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/search.php?searchid=1133451

This has also been done and argued about on here alot. With A.Badger not missing a moment to get in his anti banning views. So you can search on here and find some useful threads.

Basically you cover up with some kind of mesh, either enviromesh (which keeps out most bad insects) or larger mesh which just keeps out butterflies and pigeons.
Or, you pick eggs and caterpillars by hand and hope the natural (ie no chemicals) environment you have provided in the garden will deal with some of them, spiders, wasps, parasitic insects (could be bad, because most of us grow in huge blocks of the same thing and that's not how nature works).
Or you spray with something, either home made or shop bought. I don't know what you can still buy, but I'm sure there is something.


Personally I find one of the mesh types, with pulling them off every couple of weeks and checking everything is ok, then spraying with soft soap if scale insects and whitefly are building up (which they can under enviromesh). Then taking the mesh off in Sept and going round the plants every other day and picking off any eggs/pillars that I find.

oldsam

The year 2009 will go down as exceptional for butterflies of all types it is reported that we had over 2 bn. of them on the move from Europe into the U.K. - But most are not a problem. After sit down with a cup tea to think awhile watching nature put on a show of a cabbage white butterfly rave up , you end having to take drastic measures along with mother nature who will help you - She will send the wasps not just the yellow and black kind who take caterpillers to the nests . there are others that lay wasp eggs in them these kill the caterpillers when the eggs hatch. You can Find large cabbage white eggs in clusters and the small cabbage white only lays a single eggs - I get paint brush and mix soapy water in jam jar and go over the plants yes it takes time , But its the way I know that proved efffective in going some to removing this pest - also use it on aphids on beans - Thats what grandad did - Look and learn with Mother Nature.

irishwexford

We had two cages last year, one was ordinary mesh and the other enviromesh (this cage cost about £60). We lost nearly everything in the ordinary cage and had a bumper crop in the other. I have decided (as I want to be organic) not to grow cabbages in any thing other than enviormesh again. It will mean cutting down on crops until we buy another cage but that is better than loosing the lot. I know this may be an expensive way to grow greens but we do enjoy it and they do taste better. Just hope these last a few years.
We did manage to get a good crop of carrots last year by putting up a fleece fence round the plot. Planted earlies and lates and didn't get fly in either. its a full time job trying to outwit these pests.

MrsTinks

enviromesh or http://www.wondermesh.co.uk/ same stuff really - if it works for one of the country leading show growers of veg... He swears by it and his is now over 15 years old... *strolls off to find the best deal...*

MrsTinks

Oh the carrot fly... apparently plant a few varieties - get the "flyfree" and other fly hardy ones and one "normal" carrot - about 1 to 6 ratio (1 normal) - they will dessimate you normal carrots but will largely leave the others alone
I'd still fleece them if you can though - it can be expensive so the 1/6 method might work out a lot cheaper

cootambear

Grow tobacco plants, (nice flowere) soak the leaves in water, spray on plants - its a poweful insecticide.