[Nicki85]

Looking over some of my over-wintering kale and what do I see??  A cabbage white caterpillar!!!  I had so much trouble with these last year and dutifully picked, killed and left out for the robin every one I found.

And now they are back!

Think I will concentrate my brassica growing at the allotment and make sure everything is netted from the outset!

Grrrrrrrr

[billathome65]

As this is the first year I will be growing veg in a small area I am paranoid about things not growing. This club root thingy and the slugs birds caterpillars etc. so I bought a load of netting which will be going all over the plot so I don't "LOOSE THE PLOT" 

good luck

[Nicki85]

Last year was my first year to, I only had my garden and dug some of the lawn up to make a couple of raised beds.  I soon found out that EVERYTHING wanted a mouthful of my crops!  It was a nightmare, I lost plants to cabbage root fly then to flea beetle then to pigeons and then to caterpillars!  I've learnt my lesson, if in doubt net it! Good luck with yours to!

[DD.]

I wouldn't worry about club root where you're growing, Bill. I suspect it's probably never even seen a brassica!

[Ma and Pa Snip]

I wouldn't worry about club root where you're growing, Bill. I suspect it's probably never even seen a brassica!

Might have seen some wallflowers though DD, I assume club root on wallflower would affect the ground for brassica's, yes /no ?

[8doubles]

Strange time of year for a CW caterpillar, i thought they mostly overwintered as pupae or adults.
It may have been a paracitised caterpillar who was too heavly infested to make it off the plant and if you squished it you may have killed a dozen potential caterpillar killers.

Ain`t nature wunerful ! 

[Ma and Pa Snip]

Crikey, CID caterpillars   (caterpillars in disguise). Life gets more and more confusing 

[DD.]

I wouldn't worry about club root where you're growing, Bill. I suspect it's probably never even seen a brassica!

Might have seen some wallflowers though DD, I assume club root on wallflower would affect the ground for brassica's, yes /no ?

Very doubtful though, isn't it? You tend not to get clubroot where only flowers have been grown. Wallflowers can keep it going though.

I think you're looking at the very, very worse case scenario there and if we all did that, you'd never grow a darn thing.

[Ma and Pa Snip]

Very doubtful though, isn't it? You tend not to get clubroot where only flowers have been grown. Wallflowers can keep it going though.

I think you're looking at the very, very worse case scenario there and if we all did that, you'd never grow a darn thing.

Yes I agree it's doubtful. But I did wonder if it were possible.

And a big yes, if we looked on the worst case scenario we'd probably all have paved gardens, and no allotments, with nothing for caterpillers to thrive on 

[Nicki85]

I think the eggs can survive over winter and we have had a bit of warm weather recently which may have led to them hatching... only spotted the one though!

[Goosegirl]

Hate to say this, but are you sure it was an caterpillar and not a vine weevil...? Send us a pic, please.

[Nicki85]

It's squished and dead and most def. a caterpillar!  Green, long and squidgy and had eaten half the leaf it was on. 

We have evil vine weevils to so pretty used to the two of em.