Replacements req'd

[Sky Blue]

Hi All
Looking for alternatives to cauli and broccoli in my brassica section of the garden. Fed-up feeding the butterflies and white fly, going to carry on with sprouts but wondering what else can be grown here?

Many thanks
Geoff

[WestHamRon]

I found swede didn't interest the pests as much. It's the only brassica I shall bother with this year.

[Colin_M]

How about Kale?

Many people here have got on with Cavolo Nero.


Colin

[PLUMPUDDING]

Try kale Redbor - it tastes great, looks beautiful, and doesn't have much bother with pests.

[John]

I've found that red cabbage seems to attract far less attention from white butterflies. Jenny G and others have also mentioned this on forum. We really enjoy red cabbage and apple cooked together - tastes even better when reheated the next day! Can't say that about reheated green cabbage.
There is always growing under environmesh as a way to keep your brassicas clean.

John

[Sky Blue]

thanks all for your replies.

I'm afraid we don't like swede, haven't tried Kale will have to buy some and see the reaction.

John is enviromesh a trade name or description, any recommendations as to which is better.

Sky Blue

[Brooklynodog]

I`ve had a look at this stuff, and there seems to be a couple of different names, but all about the same cost. Lasts for up to 10 years (alledgedly) but quite dear.

[bigpepperplant]

can vouch for kale too - looks great in the veg patch and keeps producing for months. Seems to be relatively unbothered by pests and tastes great. Red Russian and Cavolo Nero my favourites.

[Monika]

Sky Blue, don't judge all kales by the kale you might be buying to try it out! Shop bought kale isn't a patch on home grown one, not only in taste but particularly in texture!
There are lots of different varieties of kale and two or three of them would keep a family happy most of the year.

[Compo]

Enviromesh is the best, and the most expensive I think. I have had some for a while and it does not appear to rot or deteriorate even when left out all winter, even small tears do not rip.

Red Cabbage is good at overwintering. Derris helps with cabbage white butterflies and caterpillars (some say Derris Dust is ok for organic gardeners)
I use it sparingly.

Purple sprouting is also good for overwintering and late cropping. Grow more beans spuds and salad in the summer, and save the cabbbages for the winter months is one way of avoiding snail / slug and cabbage white damage.

Good luck

Compo

[Johnboy]

Hi Skyblue,
I agree with John and feel that Environmesh is probably your best way out. I use anti White Fly netting which is really expensive and had it not been bought for a commercial venture I probably would have used Environmesh because of the cost.
As a nurseryman I had an enormous problem some years ago when a 5 acre crop of Calabrese became infested and because the person growing the crop was a person who would not use chemicals under any circumstances
my nursery also became infested. Ultimately MAFF came in and destroyed the crop but not before the White Fly had spread for an area of more than 10 square miles and threatened the livelihood of most of the growers in the district. (This explains why I sometimes appear to be anti Organic)
It has been mentioned that the cost is quite high but as Compo, quite rightly, points out that this cost is defrayed over quite a few seasons. My White Fly netting has been in operation for more that 10 years but the initial cost was enormous but Environmesh is not that expensive by comparison taking everything into consideration.
I feel that to restrict yourself to growing things that are not affected by certain pest defeats the whole object of growing your own.
To Bigpepperplant,
Could I suggest that you try growing the Kale Pentland Brig which is at present giving me some superb side shoots having given me some really good pickings of Kale during the season. I find that Russian Red Kale is best picked very young as a salad item. My Red Russian never makes the winter having been scoffed with my salads.
JB.

[bigpepperplant]

thanks for the tip johnboy - I shall try Pentland Brig this year. My Cavolo Nero currently giving lovely side shoots too - pretty much the only thing I can actually pick at the moment so I have a soft spot for it.

[pump_king]

I grew Sutherland Kale last year, very rare heritage variety from
www.realseeds.co.uk and it really does withstand most things including pidgeons, pretty much as in the description but I can't vouch for the goats not liking it. It has the tradional kale taste (quite strong) and winters very well.