Topic: Dipel/Thuricide

[chickenfeet]

Hi,

After having most of my cabbages half eaten by caterpillers last year I have been looking around for a organic spray to protect this years. I came accross dipel/thuricide on this forum as well as other websites and it seems to work well for most people. The problem is I can't seem to find it anywhere. I've searched the web and looked in a couple of garden centres to no avail. It only seems to be available in the USA.
Does anyone know if it is available in this country and if so where can I buy it in relativley small quantities?

Thanks

Dale

[Marika]

Hi Dipel,

I don't live in the UK so I don't know whether it is available in your country, but I guess there will be another product with Bacillus thuringiensis on the market (Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacteria, and is the active ingredient of Dipel/thuricide). In the Netherlands, there are several products with Bt (incl dipel), all working against caterpillars.

Hope this helps.

Marika

[supersprout]

Hi chickenfeet
If it's cabbage white butterfly, have you tried mesh covers? I'm a convert - no other treatment necessary ::)

[chickenfeet]

Hi Supersprout,

I have though a bout making some mesh covers, only problem is I think I would need rather a lot of mesh! Also, the thing that puts me off is getting in for weeding/removing slugs etc.
Do you use one large mesh cover or a few smaller ones and did you make them yourself? If so, what is the easiest way to make them?

Marika- I have searched for dipel under its many other names (bt, bacillus thuringiensis +more) and canno't find anything similar in the UK. It seems strange as people have posted in the past on this forum saying they use it.

Thanks

Dale

[jennym]

The product is DiPel DF, marketed by Fargro.
It is not permitted for amateur use in the UK.

[supersprout]

I got a big roll of mesh a year ago, 2m wide, cut lengths that fit my beds (4m long), put it over arching wire supports (REALLY good instructions in the wiki) or make a frame from poles, then peg down (or just lay planks along if in a hurry). Hope the pics show enough detail. You can use mesh again and again, only half of the roll has been used as it gets moved from bed to bed, so it's been a great investment. Plus saving the crop! I always cover brassica family with mesh now.





Last year's broccoli, with the mesh pulled back for weeding - wood and string frame

[jennym]

Mesh works for me too - except the year I put it on too late.The butterflies had already laid their eggs (which I didn't notice) and because I covered the plants so well, the plants inside the mesh did far worse that plants outside! Lesson learned  ;D

[chickenfeet]

I do have some white fleece that I could use, do you think this would be ok for making covers or will it block out too much light?

Dale

[supersprout]

Yikes jenny, when was 'too late'? :o

I use fleece for warmth/windbreak, mesh for protection cos I think it lets more rain and light through.
But the farmers around here use acres of fleece to cover their young brassicas and bring them on earlier, they just leave it and eventually the cabbages etc. break through and the farmers collect the redundant fleece in June (then probably spray for pest control).
Better covered than not, whatever you use? Try it and see!
 :)

[jennym]

...Yikes jenny, when was 'too late'? :o......

Erm, (blushing furiously here) maybe mid June? maybe later? Far too late !!!  :-[