Do the butterflies....

[plot51A]

....ignore Kale? I seem to remember when growing it in the past that it wasn't attacked by caterpillars, but could be wrong. I have some cavolo nero seedlings that I'm about to transplant and am short of netting so it would be a bonus if I don't have to cover it. What do other people think please?

[plot51A]

[RobinOfTheHood]

Most of my stuff got hit last year but the kale was relatively untouched by butterfly and slugs, still got lots of whitefly though.

Debris netting for the lot this year... :)

[Tee Gee]

Over the years I have watched this, and in the order of preference of the brassica family you will find that they go for;

1) Cabbage
2) Cauli
3) Broccolli/Calabrese
4) Sprouts
5) Savoys and coarse leafed varieties.

If you get a leaf of each variety and try crushing /tearing them you will find they are in order of tenderness.

Birds prefer them in this order also!

And wait for it..................so do we...........we eat cabbage leaves but not as a rule the leaves of  2/3/& 4 and 5 requires more boiling time to tenderise it for our consumption.

Note; I have given preferences! meaning if that all thats about they will go for what is at hand!

Hows that for another bit of useless information I have picked up since I retired, and have had a chance to have a look at anomalies such as these? 8)

[plot51A]

TeeGee thank you, I find that a fascinating piece of information not useless at all!  ;D

[Kea]

I notice that red cabbages are a little immune as well. However I have red and savoy seedlings in my mini green house and i keep having to remove eggs and small caterpillars off both but not the kale (nero)sitting next to them.

[Tee Gee]

seedlings

See!! tenderness again!

[Hector]

This adds up. Just wiped cwhite eggs off Romanesco cauli leaves in a mixed Cauli PSB bed. Not one PSB had eggs on it.

[grannyjanny]

Hector, What about the wok brokk?

[littlebabybird]

we had cabbage whites on the kale last year, but they did very little dammage, as Tee Gee said they dont like it and i think the ones that were on it found it a little heavy going.
lbb

[Hector]

Hector, What about the wok brokk?

Fingers crossed it's safe! Altho we have had pigeons tring to get it (its netted)  :)