Topic: Caulis, cabbages, CATERPILLARS & EGGS!!!

[reddyreddy]

HELP!!!

I netted my brassicas but obviously not thoroughly enough as have just removed it for weeding and found a lot of nibbled leaves some green caterpillars and some black and yellow caterpillars and what looks like lots and lots of eggs (or caterpillar poo!). Should I give up and rip them out or can they be saved???

Thanks!

[lancelotment]

Hi reddy, I'd skwish the cats and the eggs and keep soldiering on.  Keep checking for any more eggs over the coming weeks and do the same with them.  sure I read somewhere about making a rhubarb leaf tea (as you do with the leaves of comfrey) which can be watered on to brassicas to keep cabbage whites etc. off but you had best check up on that one before going there.  The plants will recover in time providing they are not decimated yet.  Lance

[reddyreddy]

I've picked off the caterpillars but there are way too many eggs on way too many plants to squish individually! Any other suggestions?!

[thifasmom]

i used the rhubarb leaf tea/ pesticide last year on the caterpillars with great success.

but really if you dedicate a 20 minutes to half hour to squishing the eggs it will sort out the majority before hatching then every three days or so spray with the rhubarb mixture both under and on top the leaves till all signs of the emerging caterpillars are gone. 

and make that net butterfly proof.

good luck.

[manicscousers]

if they're cabbage white eggs, they will be in groups and yellow, if it's black, it's poo  ;D

[daileg]

 I agree squish em is the best but i use ruhbarb tea i also use my old cig buts in there they cant stand the smell of the nicoteen

[manicscousers]

see the 'another use for elder' thread in basics, the trees are everywhere  ;D

[landimad]

In my experience of this I use the fleece to cover the plants, that way they can get the rain and the sun they need and the pigeons and cats stay off. Weeding is easy if you do the same as you have for the netting too.