[alsagerman]

Evening all,
The Cavolo Nero and the cabbages under the enviromesh are looking tasty enough to start picking.  Does anybody have any advice on whether the mesh can then stay off, or does it need to stay on until the winter?
Thanks

[Yorkie]

Stay on.

Mine are now stalks after I foolishly believed that cabbage whites were not interested in kale and therefore removed the cover ... 

[Sparkyrog]

Appears to me there have been more than normal 

[Beetroot Queen]

My kale sticks say leave it on too. 

[devonbarmygardener]

I don't take mine off - at all.

[Annen]

I've got some outside and some inside and looking at them, it is pretty obvious netting needs to stay on!

[Kristen]

I take mine off (well ... I use scaffolder's debris netting for Cabbage White buttery - cheaper than enviromesh, which I keep for Carrot Root Fly) and replace with bird netting (2" holes, or similar) as we move into Winter.  The weight of snow will collapse a fine net, but falls through the bird netting.

[Goosegirl]

I have always netted my brassicas but, though it keeps the butterflies out, I get heeby-jeeby insects that eat my little sprouts which my OH hates to see. If I remove the nets, the birdies can get to them, so what is the best thing to do?

[alsagerman]

Thanks all.  It'll stay on - better safe than sorry!

[seaside]

I take mine off  and replace with bird netting as we move into Winter. 

This is what I do... as soon as the butterflies have bitten the year.

[Growster...]

I take mine off (well ... I use scaffolder's debris netting for Cabbage White buttery - cheaper than enviromesh, which I keep for Carrot Root Fly) and replace with bird netting (2" holes, or similar) as we move into Winter.  The weight of snow will collapse a fine net, but falls through the bird netting.

Agreed, wholeheartedly!

It's been great on carrots this year - not a sign of fly so far, and definitely much, much cheaper!

We'd never ever get value for money on Enviromesh, it's just far too expensive.

[strider84]

I'm pretty sure the pigeons have started on my Kale so netted them

[captainhastings]

I have all my brassicas covered in scaffold netting which seems to work well. As for the snow side of things I am going to have to take my chances.
Can't afford to replace it all with bird netting after forking out for two rolls of scaffold.
We don't get that much snow and what we do get seems to come late winter so maybe my broccoli will be done by then. This is my first year so don't know really what is what

[AnnieB]

When cabbage whites and brassicas are concerned the only safe date is Feb 31st.

[cadalot]

My sprouts were pushing up my debris netting so I extended the height of my enclosure today, early before the cabbage whites were around. I'm hoping there is going to be enough room for them - first year growing sprouts not sure how tall they will actually reach by Christmas?