red cabbages

[The Mouse]

I am about to ask what might be a really stupid question, so please don't laught at me!
I'm growing red cabbages for the first time this year. I was just wondering if they need exactly the same protection from butterflies as their green cousins. Do they find them just as attractive?

[macmac]

Dear caz, as someone who has a degree in stupid questions...
i've found my reds don't get troubled with very much while their green cousins are plagued with pigeons, greenfly,whitefly, cabbage white you name it!
p.s. a question's only stupid if you don't ask it!

[The Mouse]

Thanks for your quick reply, Macmac

I've found that with lettuces, the red ones don't get attacked by much - not even slugs, so I had wondered if the same might be true of cabbages. If your experience is anything to go by, it would seem that the 'red' chemical acts isn't very attractive to a lot of pests.

[alan refail]

When I used to grow red cabbages and red sprouts side by side the red were largely left alone by caterpillars, slugs and whitefly. I assumed it had something to do with the higher sulphur level in red brassicas (I think).