Help - caterpillars are destroying my lettuce, rocket and radishes

researcher

I planted a trough with cut and come again lettuce, rocket and radishes - they were all looking brilliant until the day before yesterday when I saw a few black eggs - I picked the effected leaves - but now, there are little green caterpillars everywhere , and they're eating everything. :eek:

How do I kill them without spoiling my crop? I wanted it organic, but there must be something I can do - I wouldn't mind them haveing a little, but they're eating it all! There are lots of while butterflies around, so I think they're the culprit. :mad:

Please help!

moggins

IfI remember rightly a good spraying with soapy water should help.

newleaf

Pick off the caterpillars and put them in a shallow dish on your bird table, the blue tits will come and scoff them for you.

researcher

newleaf wrote:

Pick off the caterpillars and put them in a shallow dish on your bird table, the blue tits will come and scoff them for you.

There are a number of reasons why I won't be doing this:

• they're too small
• there are too many
• :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: if you know what I mean!

But I will try the soapy water - any other ideas out there? Please?

newleaf

Know what you mean, bit squeamish myself where wriggly things are concerned, could you do it with tweezers?

researcher

newleaf wrote:

Know what you mean, bit squeamish myself where wriggly things are concerned, could you do it with tweezers?

There are just so many, and they're tiny + there seems to be thousands (hundred of thousands?) of eggs, if each of these hatches, my crops gone.

I really, really need to know what to treat them with.

culpepper

I use derris.It's made from plants.You can get it as liquid in wilko's and you dilute and spray on.You must leave the crop for a couple of days before you can harvest but it does keep the butterlies away. You only need to spray about once every 3 weeks.

chatta

could you pick off the leaves with new eggs on before they hatch, and blast the rest with soapy water.

demented_2

Hi it might be a bit late but we remove the Rhubarb leaves, put them into
a container then cover them with water and leave for a couple of days to
ferment i must warn you though it does pong. Then water the plants cabbage or rocket etc over the leaves and if you want to avoid cabbage root fly, water the roots. The little blighters can't stand the smell and won't land to lay their eggs. Our allotment not touched by them the cabbage whites are all visiting the next allotment but don't land on our plants,
Maybe a bit late but worth knowing for next year.

researcher

chatta wrote:

could you pick off the leaves with new eggs on before they hatch, and blast the rest with soapy water.

Yes - tried that, but there really is a plague of them. It isn't making any difference.

researcher

demented wrote:

Hi it might be a bit late but we remove the Rhubarb leaves, put them into
a container then cover them with water and leave for a couple of days to
ferment i must warn you though it does pong. Then water the plants cabbage or rocket etc over the leaves and if you want to avoid cabbage root fly, water the roots. The little blighters can't stand the smell and won't land to lay their eggs. Our allotment not touched by them the cabbage whites are all visiting the next allotment but don't land on our plants,
Maybe a bit late but worth knowing for next year.

I've got rhubarb - I'll go and pick some NOW thanks -