Any tricks to keeping caterpillars away from the Broccoli? (other than out there every day doing an inspection!) And anyone know how to keep the birds from digging up the soil? I made 2 little rows of mound
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Hi Emma, i have read that you can make a spray with lettuce leaves which foils them, also growing lettuce and celery in between each brassica is supposed to help, I am growing some red cabbage and the first caterpillars are in evidence this week, but easy to spot because their green stands out against the red leaves.
Hi I had problems with the caterpillars last year. the cabbage family really wasn't worth growing. I did a bit of research on the internet and found out alot of what has already been said. But the thing i liked the sound of the best was netting. Like the netting vineyards have ...maybe a little smaller Placemakers has some. I figure if the butterfly can't get in neither can the caterpillars. No trouble this year yet...... but i've only seen one or two white butterflies so far.
I use neem oil and it works well so long as you keep up the spraying! I'm into a habit of doing a spray every 7 - 10 days with neem. Good luck. With my small seedlings I use all sorts to keep the birds off... Mini glass houses made from cut in 1/2
clear plastic containers, stick surrounds... Read recently on ooooby a good idea of using tin cans, opening the bottoms out
too. Will try that one myself, probably easier to firm in the soil than plastic, plastic blows away too.
Try neem granules. Put some in the hole when you plant them and scatter some more around the plants. I haven't found them to be a total solution but they do seem to help.
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clear plastic containers, stick surrounds... Read recently on ooooby a good idea of using tin cans, opening the bottoms out
too. Will try that one myself, probably easier to firm in the soil than plastic, plastic blows away too.