[Elcie]

Last night I picked the last of the spring greens from the back garden.  Imagine my shock when I saw yellow eggs on the underside of the leaves!

Then, this morning, I saw a butterly landing on my calabrese plants which are waiting to go out to the plot when they are bigger!

I thought I had until June/July - I was wrong!!

[Beejay]

Cabbage White's don't know how to read a calendar

[Chappers]

Seen loads of them about this year, so i have put 6 poles in the ground around my brassicas and have fleece round the sides and netting over the top, seems to be keeping them out so far and protects from the wind.

[Laverne88]

I've put some wire netting around mine and cut up one of those laundrey net bags and thrown it over the top........ I lost all my cauli's and cabbages, last year, to those little blighters..

[titch]

my spring cabbages and broc and psb have been covered in mesh since i planted them, taking no chances, lost all my brassicas to this little ****** last year, so taking no chances

[SnooziSuzi]

I've been checking my brassica's daily for signs of the little blighters and rubbing them off as soon as I've seen them, but I was a bit hasty the other day and accidentally rubbed off about 20 ladybird eggs 

Hopefully the ladybird will be back to lay some more 

[peterjf]

when we have probs with cabbage whites we get the trusty tennis rackett out ,

to date its 40-love , but still the 1st game in a very long match ,

at least ourt strawberries wont be £15-00 a punnet in june 

[Eatyourgreens]

Not seen one yet and don't expect to for another week or two, got to be some advantages being this far north.

Have fleece ready to be deployed for when they do emerge.


Bob

[peanut]

will these blighters attack my sprouts?

[TheModfather]

Quite possibly, they got mine last year. I'm getting a proper net up this year. I think they are partial to all brassicas, not exclusively cabbage as their name suggests.

[Sue32]

I was told that the butterflies like nettles.  There are lots of nettles round the field - does that mean they'll go there instead or they'll just multiply and be even worse?

[SnooziSuzi]

I think the tortoishell butterfly likes nettles, but other than for nectar I'm not sure if other butterflies live there.  Tortoishell's have hairy bodies so are not affected by the stingers  :happy:

[TheModfather]

It depends whether they like nettles more than cabbage. Based on their name, I'd suggest not  . I'd put up a net just incase. It is definately worth it. The caterpillars completely destroy a good crop!

[sunshineband]

I was told that the butterflies like nettles.  There are lots of nettles round the field - does that mean they'll go there instead or they'll just multiply and be even worse?

At the risk of sounding a bit boddish -- each butterfly has its own food plant or plants and cabbage whites (small whites and large whites) are named for a good reason  and those whose caterpillars eat nettles are from the io family ie small tortoiseshell, peacock etc. Planting nasturtiums can side track whites a bit as they have the same compounds in their leaves... nothing beats a good old net though!!!

[mumofstig]

nothing beats a good old net though!!!

Not too old though....don't want any with holes in