Caterpillars have won!

6 of my 7 broccolis have been eaten to death. The last remaining one looked soooo good so I chopped it down just now to take in for washing and eating for dinner tonight.... Yer, I binned it! it was sooooooo crawling with pesky caterpillars I couldn't bring myself to use it incase I missed any :euw:

Now I have left, 3 courgette plants which are growing courgettes nicely, 3 aubergine plants - the 1 flower I spotted a few days ago has fallen off :( And my 7 green bean plants, 1 has been eaten to death, the other 6 are slowly coming back to life after being nibbled loads. And my tomato plant... finally one tom is turning! It's really orange!!!

 

Thats such bad luck can't really say i've had that much problem with the pesky green eaters, did suffer with a big slug problem thou.

 

well the answer is obvious, get some dogapillars to chase them away.


















....Sorry. :dh:

 

All your brassicas will get eaten by these pesky things unless you cover them with a special netting to stop the white butterfly (cabbage white) laying their eggs on them.

I must admit to covering all of mine and so far not one cabbage white has got through!!

All that work growing them too!!

 

I lost all mine to cabbage whites last year, this season i added pvc conduit hoops to the 6`x 12` bed and covered the whole thing with fleece. I`ve spotted a few CW`s sitting on top drooling at the brussel plants within but unable to reach them.
The biggest problem is watering as i overdid the plant spacing (as per usual) and the makeshift tunnel is literally bulging at the seams. I`ll try to snap a pic tomorrow for a laugh
I wonder if butterflies call it a day for trying to lay eggs at some point in the season..my brussels might get a taste of freedom if they do.

 

I`ve had the same problem with caterpillars, lost all my Cabbages and Cauliflowers, and Swede leaves look like lace curtains but it doesn`t seem to have done any harm to the tuber, I had mine covered with netting but obviously the Butterflies got through so I`ll try the fleece next year. Thanks for the tip Hex

 

Enviromesh is about the best thing to cover them with. Though there are some pests it won`t prevent,:lollol:

http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2573&stc=1&d=1281551984

 

lol @ the horse!!

Thanks guys. I'm still pleased with the green beans & courgettes. It was a learning curve!

 

It ripped the pegs out of the ground and noshed away.lol:gnthb:

 

daitheplant, now that is a very handsome pest !!

I too have decided that if I wish to grow any cabagges etc...next year, then it will have to be covered in mesh of some sort. All that hard work just to look at lacy leaves.