[dig4victory]

I sigh again - sorry everyone for starting yet another thread re brassicas.

I took the fleecy-stuff closhes of my lines of red cabbage and cauliflowers today and they are growing well but I have two queries:

1.  There are some really HUUUGE lower leaves, shall I just leave these on?  They are just starting to heart up a bit.

2.   We rigged up some very home made netting frames today, and we did our best.  It looks very 'rugged' but some of the leaves are touching the netting.  Will c.w.butterflies still lay eggs of the tops of leaves touching the netting or do you think we are safe?  We just couldn't afford to buy some of the proper mesh webbing stuff.

Thanks very much

[mumofstig]

I'd leave the bottom leaves alone until they start to die off

The CWB poke their bottoms through the net to lay eggs on the foliage that is touching

You will have to check these regularly, if you can't keep them away from the netting.

[Nikkithefoot]

Leave the lower leaves on providing they are healthy. With respect to the netting if the leaves are touching the butterflies will be able to lay eggs on them. If you can rearrange the netting so it doesn't touch the leaves then they can't lay their eggs and you will be ok

[sunshineband]

Careful with the netting you choose, as if the squares are more than about half an inch big, the little blighters can fold up their wings enough to get into your enclosure.
 

I managed to get some small holed stuff cheap(ish) on *bay, or old net curtains are excellent and usuallly free too 

[brown thumb]

perhaps you could fix some old net curtains over the out side where the leaves are touching the netting would that help if you used clothes pegs to keep the curtains off the other net