caterpillars...wriggly little blighters [frown]

[Quisling]

So, the little nibblers have destroyed by curly kale and now they've had the tops off all my radish.  Obviously it's too late to save these crops now.  I'm generally of an organic mindset so evil pesticides don't sit well with me.

So how do I guard against them next year? Is the answer to put a net over the crops to keep the butterflies from laying the eggs in the first place?

[David Martin]

Parasitic wasps. They'll kill the little blighters.

Failing that, net the lot.

Scaffold netting is the cheapest stuff available for gardening use.

..d

[Manotea]

When I realised Fat Pigeon was eating all my brassicas faster than they could grow I planted an impenetrable wall of Marigolds round the vegetable patch. I can confirm that didn't work.

[Palinurus]

My Kale's been eaten down to the stalks. I did get one meal out of it before they did.

I'm not so bothered. My allotment is an excuse to potter around outside, food is a useful by-product.

Still I like kale and next time I'll have a go at picking the buggers off and letting the birds get to 'em.

[Si]

I just visit every few days and pick the 'pillers off and chuck them over the fence (not wanting to harm any of God's creatures).  When I started there were millions, now I only find the odd one. 

Pick of the visible ones, then give the plant a shake and the rest ought to fall onto thefloor where you can collect them. 

[Jon P]

The scaffodling netting is found on eBay as "derris", confirm it's what the allotment folk recommend.

I'm only in an 'experimental' first attempt but am appalled at what the little bugg3rs have done to my swedes, in future I'm definitely going to net, one plant is showing a healthy root growth already but there's no leaf left, another has completely had it and I pulled it out.  How long does the 'season' last for?

[David Martin]

The scaffodling netting is found on eBay as "derris", confirm it's what the allotment folk recommend.

Nope. Derris is an old style insecticide (DDT?).

You want debris net. Ie net to stop debris from falling outwith the scaffolding. It is available in loads of colours and widths.

..d

[tiermat]

Mrs T and I were watching GW the other night and they were showing off "lovely" caterpillars.

The normal green ones don't affect me but I come up in a nasty rash if I get anywhere near one of the hairy ones.  Even watching the little blighters on TV had my eyes itching, and they kept blooming well showing it, just to wind me up!