[bella13]

Hi bugs are eating my broccoli and cabbage can you tell me what natural sprays i can use

[Chrysalis]

Hi and welcome.

Try some water in a spray bottle or a weak washing up solution....
I don't have bugs on my brassicas, because the blackbirds and sparrows have eaten them all - bugs, geens, the lot!

Others will have their favourite bug deterrents...

[Ice]

If you are not prepared to kill the bugs it would be good to invest in netting.

[Ice]

Robertsongs.  This site cannot condone or recomment the use of any home made pesticides that are not EU approved.  Anyone thinking of doing so ought to read this article.

http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/general/home-made-pesticide.php

[Salmo]

What do these bugs look like? What is the damage like?

If they are caterpillars that have survived hidden in the hearts the only thing you can do is to pick them out. They will be well camoflaged.

If you just have holes but do not know the culprits it may be slugs. In which case a few slug pellets round the base of the plants may entice them out. Like caterpillars you may find them hidden in the middles and difficult to get out.

[Kajazy]

Ice - fyi there's an article on this site explaining how to make insecticidal soap - just in case it needs to be removed, in that case...?

http://www.allotment-garden.org/articles2/10_Great_Gardening_Tips_and_Ideas.php

[sunshineband]

If there are caterpillars inside the broccoli heads I would suggest you saok them in slaty water before cooking them, as the caterpillars with then die and float out.

On cabbages, you can pick them off by hand

[DD.]

The OP has made a reply, but it's come via the wrong route. It is:

"cannot see anything".

[RobertSongs]

I removed my post so not to break any site rules...But i did wonder why a link to an organic, well documented and widely used homemade spray, that given a few more ingredients(Less The Fairy) would produce a nice bowl of chilli con carne..Would need to be approved by a bunch of blokes sitting in brussels..not trying to be millitant. Just curious really

Maybe the OP could post some Photo`s of the damage to give everyone a better idea of what they are dealing with and  in turn solve the problem with the least impact to enviroment and surrounding plots..

[mumofstig]

The law has been worded in such a way that any pesticide/fungicide used has to be approved. As  home-made sprays are not approved, and never will be - they are technically illegal

We therefore take the stance on the Forum that we cannot recommend them, so if you post your recipe you will always see the response that Ice gave you, as we cannot be seen to encourage people to break the law.  So please don't take it personally

It is of course up to you what you choose to spray on your crops 

[Ice]

Standard reply, just as mum says.

[RobertSongs]

Thanks i would never take it personally...im a bit thicker skinned than that:rhino emo:. As i say i was just curious and you have answered my question..I personally will refrain growing brassicas other than maybe a bit of rapini (lovely sauted with garlic) this year because of the space they take up and time to mature...but mainly because of way they seem to attract every bug from miles around.. and im not prepared to spray anything on my crops that says you have to leave it 16 wks after spraying before you can harvest..Kind of defeats the object of growing it myself and when you offset against the cost of growing other vegetables..then treating yourself to organic shop bought produce occasionally doesnt seem so bad..

[Fisherman]

Covering brassicas with enviromesh works for me although I have them in raised beds which is easier to cover than it would be for plants in open ground, I have cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts and swede all growing with next to no damage.The one bug I have difficulties with is the larvae of the dart moth that always seems to find a way under the mesh or perhaps their resident there.

I have purple kale in the open ground and other than mice in the winter they have been completely free from damage. Others brassicas that I risked planting in the open ground were decimated by birds, cabbage white caterpillars, slugs, snails and others.

[gobs]

Hi bugs are eating my broccoli and cabbage can you tell me what natural sprays i can use

We really could do with a photo but even then we might be struggling for experience in Spain.

[shokkyy]

I've got a few cabbage and brussels still in the ground - any they've still got whitefly on them