Allotments 4 All

I have a hand pump spray which i keep full of Lemon Zest washing up liquid mixed with water. I keep it handy for when the Cabbage White appears and spray my veg to deter it from landing on it. The other day a host of them appeared so i started spraying then i noticed every cabbage white i got with the spray went straight to the ground and remained there, they could not take of again.
The mixture of the soap and the powder on their wings makes them to heavy to take off thus making them easy prey for the bottom of a boot.

Soap solution will kill any insect; it's sometimes used to kill bee colonies. They're covered with a thin layer of wax; the soap dissolves this, and the insect dries out and dies.

Trouble is, the cabbage whites all b****r off when they see me coming, so it's just the caterpillars left for me to deal with  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

No -  it's the EGGS. Get them & save SO much backache?

I heard the tip first on here somewhere, that cabbage whites won't lay eggs on leaves that smell of lemon. I've tried it this year and there's been no sign of a caterpillar anywhere. Not sure of the science behind it but if it works as well next year I shan't delve too deeply into the science.

Geoff.

Quote from: euronerd on September 05, 2008, 20:39:41
I heard the tip first on here somewhere, that cabbage whites won't lay eggs on leaves that smell of lemon. I've tried it this year and there's been no sign of a caterpillar anywhere. Not sure of the science behind it but if it works as well next year I shan't delve too deeply into the science.

Geoff.

what did you do spray with lemon juice watered down or ..... please tell me more

Lemon scented concentrated washing up liquid (Morrisons' own), at about the same dilution as you'd use for washing up. I've sprayed them four or five times altogether. You only need to do the undersides of the leaves.

thanks for that, i'll give it a try.

Need a reminder to bump up this topic at the appropriate time next year  ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

oh yes sweet justice, courtesy of boiled rhubarb leaf tea and a few squirts of lemon scented washing up soap. Hee Hee Hee while rubbing hands in glee  ;D

Where do I buy Lemon Zest from please,  don`t seem to see any  around here, will any lemon w/up liquid do. 

I'm guessing here, but I can't see any reason why you couldn't add some lemon juice to standard washing up liquid.

Geoff.

Quote from: Good Gourd 2 on September 07, 2008, 21:00:29
Where do I buy Lemon Zest from please,  don`t seem to see any  around here, will any lemon w/up liquid do. 

I use Fairy Lemon Zest.

Quote from: euronerd on September 08, 2008, 18:44:18
I'm guessing here, but I can't see any reason why you couldn't add some lemon juice to standard washing up liquid.

Geoff.

Geoff, I dont think it will retain the smell as long as the washing up liquid

You're probably right davyw. It's more than likely they use natural or synthetic oil. The bottle just lists it as 'perfume'  ;D

Geoff.

what about lemon essential oil that would definitely hold its smell.

Can't see why not thifas but it's an added cost. The cabbage whites won't be with us much longer this year so you might have found some lemon scented washing up stuff by the time they next appear.  ;D

Geoff.

But how do you keep up with the spraying when you have all that rain over there??
Doesn't it just wash off?

I don't suppose anyone is keeping up right now. We've been having torrential showers at intervals all day.

Grannie you only need to spray the underside of the leaves where the eggs are laid so I suppose it doesn't get washed off as fast. I only sprayed mine four or five times the whole season.

Geoff

Quote from: euronerd on September 09, 2008, 22:54:23
Grannie you only need to spray the underside of the leaves where the eggs are laid so I suppose it doesn't get washed off as fast. I only sprayed mine four or five times the whole season.

Geoff

Considering all the rain you folks enjoy, that application rate isn't bad.  Next year we'll give it a whirl.