Cabbage whitefly

marmiterulesok

Yesterday I discovered what I think is cabbage whitefly on the underside of my various cabbages,which I planted as plants about 4-6 weeks ago.Otherwise they are doing well.I thought of popping along to the garden centre to see if they have anything that will zap them away,but does anyone have any other solutions to this?

I have read that they often cause minimal damage just to the outer leaves,and unless it's a heavy infestation,then they can be left alone?Is this right?

Thanks for any comments/advice.

wellused

My brassicas were covered with them last year and yet they grew well. I have a problem this year with flea beetle they decimate the greens before they can get established I have read that neem oil may deter them so maybe it will do the same for whitefly.

Linda32

I do not know whether you can buy anything but if you have the time, its worth just rubbing the eggs off from the underside of the leaves.

trollopscarletwoman

Fleece or netting but even then the odd one will sneak inside.

A._Badger

I didn't have a lot of luck with netting but 'veggiemesh' works very well. It's expensive but apparently lasts well (you can even wash it on a washing machine). It was so successful on my brassica bed last year that I took a deep breath and bought two more sheets for my other two main raised beds this year.

It's worth a try, I'd suggest.
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marmiterulesok

Thanks for all your replies.

I have some neem oil.Where do you put it though?

I actually had bought something earlier on,which is for cabbages and fruit bushes,and I think it's for infestations of flies.I must check this up.I'm not sure what it's called in English,as the packet's in French.I'll look it up and post the name later on.

wellused

I haven't used it myself but I have read that it is applied as directed on the packaging as a foliar spray once a week while the problem persists. There are some points to take into consideration though, some plants don't like neem oil so if unsure you should apply it to one leaf and leave it for 24 hours to watch for any adverse reaction, it shouldn't be applied in direct sunlight or while the plants are stressed due to drought or over watering, also don't drench the plant but a fine spray over all the leaves once a week should do the trick.