Caterpillars

N9eav

I netted all my cabbages and yet they are all being eaten by 100's of those horrible cabbage munching grubs. How did the butterflies get in there?

Sunnyday

N9eav - they are a right PITA arn`t they!

I`ve been searching through the greenhouse to find out whats been eating into my tomatoes and i`ve found the mother of all caterpillars! oh and two snails, not sure which one has been eating the red hot chilli leaves though.

The little caterpillars have munched through my chard this year too, even after i`d planted marigolds for them to munch on which they`ve left completely untouched, we are now eating the chard stalks and throwing the leaves into the composter.

I hate caterpillars :mad:

SD

A._Badger

The only possible way for cabbage whites to get through (assuming you have the correct mesh size) is if they find a gap - but they are supernaturally persistent. I've sat and watched one try for half an hour to find a way in beneath the nettng on my beds. Now and again, one has succeeded too!

As for companion planting, I've little faith in it, persoinally, so I'm not really surprised marigolds had no effect. Mind you, aren't they supposed to be used to combat whtefly? I'm sure one of the organic growers will be along to put us straight.

Either way, the only answer to caterpillars is to securely protect them with either mesh or fleece - or use one of the few pesticides which our lords and masters in the EU will allow us to use.

Lotus-eater

A._Badger wrote: »

As for companion planting, I've little faith in it, persoinally, so I'm not really surprised marigolds had no effect. Mind you, aren't they supposed to be used to combat whtefly? I'm sure one of the organic growers will be along to put us straight.

If I can. Marigolds are of great use in the greenhouse against greenhouse whitefly and to attract beneficial insects.
Outside they attract beneficial insects, but don't deal with external whitefly which is different to greenhouse whitefly.
The can also be very attractive to slugs and snails which means they can act as sacrificial plants, although the argument can be made that they actually attract S&S's (which funnily enough is one of the same arguments used against slug pellets).

Nasturtiums are what you need to attract (or maybe just attract away from your brassicas) cabbage white butterflies.

If you use normal anti bird netting, butterflies can quite easily slip through them after struggling for a while, they can also lay eggs through almost any netting if it is within touching distance of the plants.

emiff6

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Nasturtiums are what you need to attract (or maybe just attract away from your brassicas) cabbage white butterflies.QUOTE]

Thanks for this tip, Lotus-Eater. I shall get some half price seeds from Wilko tomorrow for next year. Do you plant them near the brassicas, or well away in another part of the garden?

Lotus-eater

You can do either, they might help with less CW eggs being laid, but they won't stop all of them, or even a great amount. Or they might, you never know with companion planting.

I have heard that underplanting brassicas with clover can stop CW eggs being laid and although I haven't used clover yet (next year I think), I have underplanted with other green stuff, which stopped ALL CW eggs being laid, while a row a couple of metres away which was on bare earth, was covered in them.
I didn't have to squash many btw, the wasps and other predators dealt with most of them.
<smug>Another reason for organic gardening</smug>

lisa26_2

Lotus-eater wrote: »

You can do either, they might help with less CW eggs being laid, but they won't stop all of them, or even a great amount. Or they might, you never know with companion planting.

I have heard that underplanting brassicas with clover can stop CW eggs being laid and although I haven't used clover yet (next year I think), I have underplanted with other green stuff, which stopped ALL CW eggs being laid, while a row a couple of metres away which was on bare earth, was covered in them.
I didn't have to squash many btw, the wasps and other predators dealt with most of them.
<smug>Another reason for organic gardening</smug>

That makes for very interesting reading. I've had loads of caterpillars on my brassicas this year. I removed loads but was surprised that recently I haven't found any. I have however noticed loads of wasps and hover flies around them so I guess they are doing the caterpillar removal for me!! Isn't nature great?!

emiff6

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I have heard that underplanting brassicas with clover can stop CW eggs being laid and although I haven't used clover yet (next year I think), I have underplanted with other green stuff, which stopped ALL CW eggs being laid, while a row a couple of metres away which was on bare earth, was covered in them.

Good idea. :T:T:T
A bit of experimental companion planting next year for me, then, to see what puts off the CW's without checking the growth of the cabbage and kale. I like the idea of clover - 3 jobs in one, enriching the soil, attracting bees and hoverflies, and discouraging CW's.

[Deleted User]

I bought some clover this pm and plan to try just a sprinkling around each brassica plant. I don`t want to unleash a mighty force so a bit of a try will do this year and the whole hog next year if successful. I must admit though that I will still keep my plants under a 2` environmesh tunnel, having seen other allotment holders with plants lifting the environmesh up and all covered in caterpillar holes