calabrese

Well ive just finished clearing all this years calabrese out of my raised beds. Variety called crown and sceptre very good BUT covered in darned whitefly, took ages to wash the blighters out.Anyone got any good ideas to keep the pesky pests off next years crop ! ! !

 

Horticultual fleece works but doesn't last long. This year I invested in proper insect netting and made a couple of long tunnels about 1m high by 1m wide. I used the 3m wide netting from this supplier -


http://www.knowlenets.co.uk/garden/garden_netting.htm#

 

Thanks for the tip Dave but I have tried using fleece before and didn't like it, as it seemed to make the plants grow sappy and yellowish.Probably due to the reduction of light. Would a very fine mesh have a similar effect ? Is there any organic spray I could use that whitefly don't like ?

 

http://www.oisat.org/control_methods/other_substances/horticultural_oil.html

 

Grassclipper

Your best bet (for a longterm solution) is not the chemical one. You need to encourage natural predators who will keep them in check. I am not an expert but there are things you can do to encourage them, like letting the early crop of nettles do their thing rather than cutting them down. Ladybirds lay their eggs on nettles early in the season and you can actively encourage the local population by providing them with a nursery! Anything you can do to promote ladybirds, lacewings and wasps will be repaid by them helping keep down the pesky pests.

Another non chemical solution would be companion planting. Again not an expert but the principle is to grow things that they don't like near or in with your crops - nice stinky stuff like garlic, shallots/onions etc have always worked well for me. But you need stuff that has similar seasons of course.

 

Hi Grassclipper, I have had the same problem as you this season wel at the start of it at least. It has been a bad year for Whitefly up and down the country. After doing a great deal of research on other forums and websites I discovered an organic spray ( insecticidal soap ) called Savona, it is approved by the Organic Association and is available from their catalogue, the link to this is:
http://www.organiccatalogue.com/

It has worked very well for my problems with Whitefly which I have documented throughout the season on my website, the link to this is:
http://www.myallotments.com

I hope that this proves to useful to you and that it will enable you to get a good crop from your Calabrese next year, regards Steve.

 

Good link Plotty snagged that lots of handy stuff on there

 

Thanks Matty Boy and Plotty, I did put several ladybirds onto the plants but they were way outnumbered and seem to be also on the purple sprouting in the same bed. I got so fed up of infestation I shredded all purple sprouting and froze last of calabrese. Next year I will interplant with onion, and give a quick spray of savona at first sign of a problem.

 

Dont you find it is particularly difficult on allotments to be organic there are so many different eco systems with everone having a different agenda,some using chemicals and some not.
Plotty, how many rod do you have? it looks pretty vast,so you have your own eco system,Oh and by the way congratulations on your election as chairman.
It will certainly be in good hands now.

 

try planting some french marigolds inbetween your rows of calibrie the white fly don,t light the smell from them!

 

I am into companion gardening.I also find if you cover cabbages and cauliflower with a fine net it does keep the white butterfly from laying its eggs.

 

I have pvc hoops permanently over my raised beds and stretch pond netting over to keep butterflies off. It needs to be a fine mesh but big enough to let light and rain through.