My Tiny PlotThe Cabbage White
Oh no, they’ve started early this year – the cabbage whites I mean. This poor little cauliflower seedling is playing host to a spongy green visitor. The first tell-tale sign was the folded over leaf. Then I saw the cotton wool like residue and after a few pokes he finally popped his head out. I didn’t have the heart to kill him so I popped him underneath my deck – there’s plenty to eat down there and by the time he can fly the brassica seedlings will be far, far away. The only way to stop this is to keep your seedlings covered but I thought as it’s so early I would be okay. The next caterpillar I come across may not be so lucky.
Not sure if this is a cabbage white,mine were green last year, and as you say, it is a bit early, i could be wrong, but i don’t think they curl up in the leaf, do they ?, great blog by the way!
I was watching some butterflies fluttering over the allotment thinking in a dreamy sort of way of summer, when I came to my senses with start – cabbage whites making a bee-line for my just planted out cauli and broc – argh! Have been fluttering about myself since in a futile attempt to deter them – guess will have to resort to fleece but don’t like not being able to see the blasted plants!
Never mind the caterpillars what about the pigeons? Popped to the lottie today and they have all but destroyed my young calabrese!
I have now netted them but does anybody know how bad they can be before they cannot recover?
I was checking my cauliflowers over the weekend to see how the heads are getting on. 3 of them are growing nicely, one was covered in whitefly, and the 5th had big chunks chomped out of it by a big brown caterpillar. I chucked him onto my nettle patch as I couldn’t bear to squash him, and I’m going to see what happens to the damaged head.
Hello,
Thought I would pass along this fabulous garden blog. She won some award for best European Garden blog. I am sending it to you because I think your wellies are disgraceful!
;-)
http://blissyo-elgarden.blogspot.com/2007/04/garden-fashion-2007.html
I’m not growing any brassicas at all this year as they attracted the butterflies like a bloody beacon last year and they completely destroyed everything when I went away for a few days. I can’t deal with the dissapointment. :(
Great photo – all of God’s little creatures. Yech! Glad I don’t have those (so far). :)
Came back from holiday to find my kale plants covered in big plump cabbage white caterpillars! I can’t bring myself to squash the little fellas, if I take them to the countryside, what will they eat besides barasica plants and will they survive? Or will they die because I have taken them away from their food source? Help!