Kitchen Garden Forum

Blankets of greenfly on the sweet peas, black fly on the beans, snails ate all the peas, we see armies of slugs and snails across the path every evening, club root got the cauliflowers, a pigeon got under the netting and has pecked kale plants, slugs ate all the carrot tops in a tub, I find vine weevils on the raspberries, something attacked the onion tops, cabbage root fly on broccoli and pak choi plants, not to mention the suggestion of tomato blight in the greenhouse, early signs of leek moth, and cabbage white butterflies lurking round the cabbages.

What is the answer? Yards and yards of fleece?

Dear Daveswife, i have never known a year quiet as challenging as this year, but next year is going to be the complete opposite.

But it might pay to buy an acre of fleece, just incase.

Hello Daveswife,Im in the same boat,but worse hit by cabbage butterfly,forever rubbing off eggs on leaves as i dont use pesticide. I agree with you,fleece from now on seem the only solution but hard work as I have a hundred feet veg patch.JP

Been killing Cabbage Whites inside my butterfly netting today, makes them easier to catch!

Daveswife wrote:
What is the answer? Yards and yards of fleece?

I bought some fleece but more to control wind damage and though the few visitors to my 'Patch' have commented on how clever i've been in my first year they didn't seem to notice the amount of damage done by creatures-mostly-small.

The only plants that don't appear to have suffered any attack are beetroot, sage, chervil and chives. Everything else is under constant attack by something to the point i'm looking for friends to give stuff away.

That new organic slug killer seems to work but doesn't deal with snails. I say, "Seems-to-work", if I don't put fresh pellets out every-day the slugs win.

With the combined aptitude and determination of you regular gardeners you could overcome anything, my respect to you all and I may grow flowers next year. And some beetroot.

Personally I find fleece rubbish these days - always tears and some little blighter gets in. Definately think environmesh is worth the investment. I've had some for years - moaned & groaned at the original cost but in comparison worth it ten fold!

Westi

Hi Westi,
There are two different wights of fleece 17 gram and 40 gram and
17 gram to my way of thinking is simply a waste of time when used outdoors.
17 gram is fine used in tunnels but even then it must be treated as "fragile." so rather than buying two qualities I long ago went for the 40 gram.
JB.

I find enviromesh much better than fleece too, it also lets more air circulate round the plants so in a wet year like this you are less likely to get moulds and rotting.

Hi Plumpudding,
It really depends how you use the fleece.If I use fleece it is always raised above the crop and this way air can circulate but if, as many people do, simply lay the fleece directly onto the crop I agree with you.
JB.