[rowlandwells]

i know its a bit premature but we must ask these things if we are to achieve any sort of results on the lottie before we start next year 

as i;ve said on a previous occasion on this site i grow my brassicas in poly sheeting the question i would ask is what do you spray your brassicas with and what period of time do you spray  say monthly  thats assuming you spray your brassicas of course 

is spraying effective for cabbage butterfly caterpillars etc and what would you recommend as i seem to have Nealy mastered the weed problem i did say nearly but not the bugs

any advise

[Yorkie]

I don't spray my cabbages.  I use enviromesh to prevent the caterpillars / butterflies.

If you do decide to use chemicals, double check the label to ensure a) that the product is licensed for use on that plant, and b) the maximum number of sprays per season & the interval.

[prakash_mib]

I don't spray my cabbages.  I use enviromesh to prevent the caterpillars / butterflies.

If you do decide to use chemicals, double check the label to ensure a) that the product is licensed for use on that plant, and b) the maximum number of sprays per season & the interval.

and the time of harvest after the last spray

[Coach]

I use netting against Butterflies and spray, against whitefly, with soapy water!

It may be illegal but it works for me    

[prakash_mib]

On the other hand pesticides are bit bad. Considering we humans doing lot of bad things to the environment and being good sometimes (growing stuffs) I would certainly avoid pesticides, even if I get disappointing results I would be happy that I would be healthy to grow more next year rather than having the chemical injested in me. 
Just a thought for two pence

[rowlandwells]

thank all for your replies that are duly noted

i know its an emotive subject spraying chemicals into the already polluted atmosphere its just that it always gets me thinking when i go into most supermarkets all the produce is so uniform wrapped washed and no signs of tiny holes in the cabbage like MY brassicas

HOW DO THEY DO IT STANLEY

[solway cropper]

all the produce is so uniform wrapped washed and no signs of tiny holes in the cabbage

and that's the reason we grow our own!!

[ecky]

Last year, my first, I had yellow stained fingers from picking off and squidging caterpillers from my brassicas. This year I used mesh and had no trouble except for white fly. Clouds of them . Mind you every one else had also. Have noted Coaches method of soap spray

[Paul Plots]

Net cover to keep off the bigger pests... What harm do a few swarms of whitefly do?

Perhaps I'm wrong but I've had some great crops and the whitefly scarper when you knock the plants a few times and wash the crop off under the tap.

[Soapy water.... dreadful stuff!!!  A few squirts when no one is looking can help deter the caterpillars if the hand-picking method doesn’t work satisfactorily....although it is, of course, not recommended!!!]

Like many others I'd prefer my brassicas to be as free from added chemicals as possible or there's little point in growing them. 

[AndyRVTR]

thank all for your replies that are duly noted

i know its an emotive subject spraying chemicals into the already polluted atmosphere its just that it always gets me thinking when i go into most supermarkets all the produce is so uniform wrapped washed and no signs of tiny holes in the cabbage like MY brassicas

HOW DO THEY DO IT STANLEY

They use pesticides to control any ermmm pests 

[Paul Plots]

thank all for your replies that are duly noted

i know its an emotive subject spraying chemicals into the already polluted atmosphere its just that it always gets me thinking when i go into most supermarkets all the produce is so uniform wrapped washed and no signs of tiny holes in the cabbage like MY brassicas

HOW DO THEY DO IT STANLEY

They use pesticides to control any ermmm pests 

 

[JayG]

Despite sometimes feeling a little nostalgic for some of the chemicals we used to be able to squirt, puff or spray on our vegetables it is more than compensated for by knowing that the end product only contains what nature intended!

Not so the commercial growers!

(Note the maximum number of applications and the spray intervals on page 4!)