[rogertb]

Well you'll have to forgive me for being so useless but I am totally new to this game, I planted cabbages etc (plants bought from the local market) ... they've grown quite well but have been attacked, they are covered in caterpillars, when I weed them hundreds of flies rise up and there are lots of holes, so is this a mixture of slug and caterpillar damage ?

My questions, can I cut away the badly damaged leaves, will they ever heart up, is it too late to 'treat' (I've been avoiding chemicals but if needs must) or should I call it a day and dig them up !, what should I do to avoid this dilemma next year ?

Many thanks - Roger

[Fisherman]

I think they are past their best It has been a bad year for slugs due to the amount of wet weather we have had. If they hadn't have been damaged so badly they could have been a decent crop. Next year in spring and throughout the growing season I would try to reduce the amount of slugs by using pellets, Nematodes, beer traps and any other method you can find to rid your plot of slugs. To be honest its an ongoing war of attrition . I would also cover any of your brassica crops with netting preferably Enviromesh or similar so that you can also prevent cabbage root fly attacking your crop as well as cabbage white butterflies. There are also other pests that might be causing problems such as dart moth caterpillars and leather jacket larvae (daddy long legs). Pigeons can also be a problem and again the mesh protection will sort that.

[pdblake]

Looks like everything's had a go at them. Next year use netting, or better still, enviromesh/vegimesh and your prefered method of slug control.

Saying that, you might get something useful out of them. There's a bit of heart there, but make sure you give it a good wash.

[mumofstig]

Some of mine were like that where I ran out of fine netting, some of them are still producing usable hearts, so I just leave them to grow and cut any that get to usable size 

As the others have already said - next year use slug pellets and cover with fine netting to stop the butterflies/moths/birds from getting to them

[compostqueen]

I use the dreaded slug pellets but carefully drape them over with Enviromesh weighted down by long gravel boards to keep the birds and rabbits out, and there should be no chance of hedgehogs getting in as we don't want them to be killed by slug pellets

[azubah]

I'd give them a feed and see what happens.
If they can stand over the winter they might grow a bit and the pests will not be so active in the cold.

[rogertb]

Thank you so much for all of your replies, this is my first year with an allotment and I'm treating it more as a learning year so am not too concerned about the cropping, though we had great success with runner and dwarf beans and our courgettes, onions were a bit small with thick necks and parsnips are a bit 'woody' ... I'm going to try and get some manure this winter to hopefully improve the soil a bit.

I've got some netted cloches that I bought, on recommendation, to keep the pigeons off the seedlings so if I have to use 'enviromesh' as well the whole plot's going to be 'netted' - oh well if that's what it takes so be it. I'll do some research, I've seen some of the other plots are using it held up by some kind of pipe bent into arches, I'll corner one of the chaps and get the details. Do you have to 'lift' it to water and weed ?

Thanks again Roger

[sunshineband]

If you can only get a smalllish amount of manure roger, save it for your potatoes and they will thank you for it next year

[mumofstig]

this old thread may help with the brassica cages
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=34665.msg415601#msg415601

[azubah]

Your cabbages look very weed free.
I find that I can water mine without removing the netting as I can reach them from outside. It needs removing to weed unless you can creep around underneath and do it that way.

[rogertb]

That is so funny ... almost spilt my wine !

[azubah]

It must be funny to watch. I am often seen bent double weeding my cabbages under the netting. Sometimes I wail "get me out, I'm stuck in here" to interested passers by, but I never get any help.

[sunshineband]

It must be funny to watch. I am often seen bent double weeding my cabbages under the netting. Sometimes I wail "get me out, I'm stuck in here" to interested passers by, but I never get any help.

This is where my 1.5m tall brassica cage comes into it's own. The cover has velcro to open/close a flap and access is easy.

I have the PSB and sprouts in there as well as the tall kale

[shokkyy]

Yes, this year was the first time I've put enviromesh (actually wondermesh) over my brassicas, and I have to say it's driven me wild. I started off with water pipe hoops, but went to canes with paper cups on top when I decided it was just too difficult getting enough height from hoops. Pegging it down at the base is an exercise in futility and trying to weed/feed in there is a complete nightmare.

[rogertb]

Interesting Shokkyy - I have a feeling I'd get a bit peed off with it, is there an alternative though - what did people do before enviromesh, probably it was more of a pain ?

Roger