Kitchen Garden Forum

Hello. I've some brassicas growing under enviromesh. When would it be safe, if ever, to remove this?

Probably best to leave it on until the plants have finished cropping. Even after the threat of cabbage white butterflies is over later in the year, there are lots of very hungry pigeons sharpening their knives and forks

I adopt different approaches, depending on the particular brassica in question and when it will be ready for harvest.

At the moment, all my brassicas are still under enviromesh. The cabbages and cauliflowers that are due to be harvested this autumn will remain covered until harvesting, because the butterflies are around until well into autumn and I can't bring myself to eat these things if I suspect that caterpillars might be lurking in them!

The sprouts, both the earlies and the lates, will be uncovered at the end of summer. I find that even if the caterpillars get at them then, the eventual crop will not be affected.

The same goes for all my overwintering brassicas - they will all be uncovered September/October, BUT I will put other nets above all except the sprouts, to protect them from the pigeons. I have found that it is hit and miss with pigeons - some years they target my crops, and other years they prefer my neighbours! So far, they have never attacked my sprouts!

There are several reasons why I don't leave enviromesh on over winter: firstly, if we get heavy snow, it gets weighed down more easily than wide-mesh netting; secondly, it is expensive and I prefer to store it safely over winter; thirdly, I like to think that the birds will help to keep the slug population (and other pests) down in winter, rooting for food amongst the crops.

These are my tactics also, Mouse. But does it do any harm to leave the enviromesh on al winter?