The Brassicas growing under our enviromesh are doing well, although i think the small space has inhibited the plants ability to grow well and produce veg. I’m considering only growing big brassicas such as brussels and broccoli, if i get an allotment for next year. In a space of only 1.2m by 2.4m we have have a brussel plant, 3 purple sprouting broccoli, 2 savoy cabbage plants and a couple of caulis. They have grown well, with some small sprouts growing, but really, no space is available for them to grow properly.
The other option would be to grow them outside the netting. As can be seen from the above picture, i’m not sure that is possible in the country. Not only do the slugs munch at the emerging seedlings, but the growing plants are then destroyed by caterpillars. Needless to say both of these plants have been chopped up and binned. Visiting a friends allotment last week showed me that it isn’t just me though…i don’t think i saw a decent brassica the whole time i was there!
If i did decide to get rid of this part of the rotation, this bed would probably become a roots bed, to give more space to things like onions, carrots and parsnips that we eat a lot of.
Tags: brassicas, caterpillars, invasion of pests
August 18th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
They certainly are destructive beggars!
August 18th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Not a fan of anything that eats our plants… other than us, that is… LOL ESPECIALLY these creepy crawlies… YIKES!!
August 18th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Just got back from 10 days away, and oh my….little blighters!!! Destroyed!!! They are not completely gone ( i hope) but I have now declared WAR!!! I’m not normally so aggressive, but they were pristine specimins before I went…sob…sob……
August 18th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Greetings from USA planting zone 7. Just what are those things? I have been battling cabbage loopers and squash vine borers, grr. I ran across your site and have been enjoying it very much. I love small, tenacious gardens. Thank you for opening it up to view.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:35 am
Same here, Vegmonkey! The only pristine brassicas on our allotment site are the ones that were protected by netting from their early days. Enviromesh isn’t essential, at least as far as cabbage white butterflies are concerned - any small-gauge netting seems to work OK. I’ve got my young PSB and kale plug plants under standard netting tunnels and they are un-nibbled so far
August 20th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Thanks all…i feel a little better now! Tomato Lady…they are caterpillars…it’s just there were hundreds of them!
Would you all believe i found a load inside my mesh! This veg growing lark is very rewarding but very difficult!