Topic: When are my cabbages likely to be safe

[RenishawPhil]

Ive got all my brassicas covered by fleece/netting, but now i am struggling to protect them all.

When am i safe to to uncover them so they are not at risk from cabbage fly/cabbage whites etc.  Also what size should they be safe from pigeons?

Any help appreciated:)

[goodlife]

You brassicas are safe from flying insects when they are in pot and cooking.. ;D
As for pigeons..some have to keep theirs under some sort of protection all the time but others..like me only protect for a few weeks..my covers are off now and as they are getting much larger and taller birds have left them alone.
Usually it is the new soft leaves that they are after.
I don't fleece against butterflies etc. at all. Odd caterpillar I get on mine I just slap off from plants on ground. I may get odd outer leaf eaten a bit but usually that is the most damage it get and those outer leaves I don't eat anyway.
Why don't you start uncovering yours and keep eye on the situation..if and when any problems start showing signs..then take action.  Unless you  are after really perfect specimen for a show bench..for eating purposes odd hole should not bother. You might be positively surprised how minimal hassle you get from all those 'dangers' that are lurking around.. ;) ;D

[RenishawPhil]

Think i might uncover the brussels then brocali as looking pretty big

[Robert_Brenchley]

Depends on the local pigeons. Some years ago, mine were only a problem in the winter. Now, for some reason, they've become a complete menace all the year round.

[goodlife]

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Depends on the local pigeons Weird but true.. ;D
My brassicas are usually left alone or with minimal damage..but this year everybodys got hammered and everybody covered theirs for protection..so I assume mine were the few uncovered ones that were left to eat.. ::)
So eventually I did cover mine too...pigeons started show some interest. They were under netting 4 weeks and last weekend I took them off..so far so good..nothing touched..but the plants are now much bigger too.
Friend on another lottie, only couple of miles away have keep her brassicas covered all year round or they'll be gone.. ???

[grannyjanny]

Brassicas have to be covered on our site from day !. A poor chap last year left some in a tray on his plot while he went home for lunch & when he got back to plant them there was nothing left to plant ::).

[fitzsie]

My cabbages are netted and had a couple of seedlings left over which I stuck in a spare bit of earth !  The netted cabbages are growing nicely but the pigeons have made a nice meal out of the others. My brussels are still under a bit of netting as well as we always have fat pigeons waddling around !!

[Barkie]

A cabbage white got in my plastic mini greenhouse after the Brussels Sprouts when the net had a tiny gap by the "door" I mesh netted them immediately after transplanting but I think I've only seen one cabbage white since!

Also I left a tray of something while I went indoors to get bird netting and had to run out to chase a smug looking, fat collared dove off it.

My Brussels sprouts are outgrowing their net now so I'm going to have to take it off.

[Digeroo]

Our pigeons are not very keen on sprouts prefer cauliflowers.  But once all the caulis are gone then watch out sprouts. 

[shirlton]

We finished eating our first planting of brocolli and so on Friday we took the wire netting down and do you know the pigeons havent touched it but they have been bouncing on the cauli nets to eat the greens.I think they are taking the pee