Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: cambourne7 on July 13, 2017, 00:08:05
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Hi all,
Just been to check my brussell sprouts and there crawling with carapillars so the question is other than picking them off whats the suggestions for getting rid of them??
Cam
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If you don't want to use pesticides then there is a biological control available, Bacillus thuringiensis, which is sold as a wettable powder that you spray onto the plants.
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I have this time bought something quick i can use today but will look at the non pesticide version for next year
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Don't blame you!
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Try a liquid Derris spray, it kills on contact. Its organic, I think derived from Feverfew.
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I but butterfly netting over all my brassicas supported on hoops made from blue plastic water pipe. It works perfectly. Now I just have to find something to keep aphids off them!
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Í find nettle tea works well for aphids. I soak the nettles for two days and then splash on. At this stage is it slightly yellow. This is before it goes green and smelly. Once you use the first liquid you can fill up the bucket again with water and leave to go smelly and then use as fertiliser.
I try and check my brassicas and squash the eggs before they hatch. Seems a little early, I normally find they are at their worst the first two weeks in August, one of my plot neighbours always goes on holiday and comes back to thousands of caterpillars.
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Thanks all i have committed genocide on a limited basis and netting going on this week as there only protected for 2 weeks funny only half the plants affected the other half look perfect so i guess the eggs had just hatched and they had not worked there way over yet!!
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I have netting on my brassica but it doesn’t stop the slugs!
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i plant mine through black membrane the put debris netting over the top no slugs no cabbage root fly no cabbage whites and if you use the shinny membrane no white fly as it confuses them which way is up all in all win win and no need to water
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Mr Frog keeps most of the slugs and snails away :)
Netting i have is going up this week now i have got more bamboo :)
Next lot of kale, cabbage plants infor protection :)
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If you turn the leaves over you can see the yellow egg clusters before the caterpillars hatch. Then just remove a bit of a leaf to prevent them. But I agree, netting is much better. However you need to check for new egg clusters before netting or you could trap caterpillars inside the netting. :wave:
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Í find nettle tea works well for aphids. I soak the nettles for two days and then splash on. At this stage is it slightly yellow. This is before it goes green and smelly. Once you use the first liquid you can fill up the bucket again with water and leave to go smelly and then use as fertiliser.
I try and check my brassicas and squash the eggs before they hatch. Seems a little early, I normally find they are at their worst the first two weeks in August, one of my plot neighbours always goes on holiday and comes back to thousands of caterpillars.
I've used well-matured nettle tea as a fertiliser but my tub of it is banished, courtesy of the wife, to the far end of the garden. I must try a fresher brew for aphids.
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I've netted the brassicas with fine scaffolder netting but the butterflies still seem to get through and lay their eggs. I use allowed pesticides but sparingly. Derris is now banned unfortunately (contains rotenone). A lot of people on my allotment swear by soapy water but I don't know what mixture they use.
Wouldn't recommend a flamethrower!!