Growing some swedes from seed and I have a nice row of perfectly spaced plants with good leaf growth - or rather did. Something is eating the leaves and a few look stripped.
Is this cabbage caterpillar - can't see any on the plants or some other pesky critter ? Should I cover with fleece - don't want to use pesticides as trying to stay organic ?
Any advice gratefully received.
If they look like mine then the pigeons are stripping them. The first year they have bothered with them too, so I am a bit miffed.
Sinbad
slugs have had a few of ours :(
Ours haven't even hit the soil yet.. so no doubt will be hit by the flea beetle... :-[
Leaves on my swedes usually end up with mor holes in than most of my other crops. The swede itself, still does well all the same though.
Confirmed with more experienced guys on site today - it those vermin with wings otherwise known as pigeons.
I'll have to net them (the swedes, not the pigeons :) )
the pigeons have had all of mine & also my spinach bed & most of my chard....aaaarrrggghhh!
If it is pigeons then they will recover.
Birds like to be able to take off and fly if there is danger so strips of string work above the plants if you have no netting.
Bought some wire netting this afternoon and covered the swedes. Luckily, the previous occupant had left some hoops in the shed .