Nasturtium - Eggs, what to do?

Do you not think they actually attract blackfly?
As to caterpillars, they tend to be a bit specific regarding what plants they like, so not much chance of them bothering other stuff I guess.
Unless its cabbage whites.

 

Antonio, your nasturtiums won't last for two years, as they are only annuals. If you are indeed fanatical about wildlife, you will surely realise that it's the plants that provide what they need.

 

Woo, don't you have them on toast with petite bacon and sauce?

 

Yum yum :BBQ: ...........
Your place or mine? Would you like me to bring some of my vineweevil jelly?

 

No. I think the blackfly come a-lookin for the tastiest café menu, and good ol' Natty's comes up trump or trumps every time. So then all the other establishments are spared the indignity.

 

Yeah lets blame Trump, Trump.
Why not

 

They are blackfly magnets which is why I allow a few self seeders to mature. Broad beans (and some tomato varieties) attract blackfly as well as the Nasturtiums but once they get a whiff of the Nasturtiums my beans and tommies are safe. The cabbage whites love Nasturtiums too. I just cut the leaves off with the caterpillars and eggs and chuck them on the compost heap.
Blackfly I just puree with my finger and thumb or a cotton wool bud on fiddly plants.

 

I will feed them cabbage I cut a couple leaves off (the ones most eggs were on) and put them in a jar. They will have the leaves, and I will top it up with bits of cabbage. They are Cabbage whites after all. I just didn't want the whole plant to be destroyed. I don't mind a few leaves going.

 

Do they not self seed? I'm unsure how they self seed, but I am guessing that's after they bloom? Mine haven't bloomed yet, hence why I don't want them to be destroyed in order for them to self seed. I'm not ready to let my plants I grew from seed (this was my first time btw it felt like effort haha) just die as soon as I put them into the garden. At least I have saved a lot of the eggs so they can eventually be put back into the wild, rather than destroy them all

Also it's Antonia

 

I understand your concern Antonia a fair few of us including me have wildlife gardens and encourage butterfly's to lay there eggs so to us its frowned upon ,

Once you've grown them you will understand why we said leave them nasturtium are invasive specially the climbers, you can cut the leaves right back and in two days its grown new ones eggs wont do the plants much/any harm

 

Thanks As much as I would love it to be a wildlife garden, it is my mothers garden and she likes things to look pretty! I have been away for a week and most of them are still looking good and actually doubled in size, a ladybird has decided to take a liking to the aphids which is good I have decided to leave them be. Although the nasturtiums in the back garden are looking quite battered by the caterpillars, oh well. I just hope they at least bloom once

 

Hi just spray the aphids with a little soapy water if they get to much, ive had to spray mine today, butterfly eggs wont hurt them mine are full of eggs and going mad at the moment.

 

Just an update The nasturtiums in the front garden are doing fine and are in full bloom now! I have noticed a climbing type has been mixed into the bag! I will be moving it somewhere it can climb. The nasturtium in the back garden (The one where I left the eggs and all caterpillars to their own device) got completely destroyed, all foliage was gone. So I decided to rehabilitate the caterpillars as they had no food. 98% of caterpillars are now in cocoons, 3 have emerged so far and are now free in the world. I have noticed much more butterflies this year, it's lovely to see, I am happy to help them.