Kitchen Garden Forum

I am bout to plant out some brassicas for the winter, and have some old copper waste pipe which is about 40mm inside diamater, I intend to slice it into 'napkin rings' and use it as collars to plant the brassicas inside to keep off the pests, obviously some of these brassicas will probably out grow that diameter in the stalk so I could make them so that they are like bracelets and can be prized off later. Anyone think of anything that might stop this from working?

If it does work I also have some 13mm scrap copper pipe which I could flatten in a vice and use as strips to place around any other crops such as late salads etc

Thoughts.............flaws in the plan, please feel free to comment?

CoMp0

PS Sorry for being out of the loop but I see no one missed me

I'd be cautious about a tight fit as if overgrown the cabbage could, due to the copper being inside, take up some copper, which might adversely affect the plant and potentially you.

Had wondered if you were ok, but couldn't ask you.

Thanks Peter

I will cut them like a copper bracelet so I can keep them off the plants, then I think once they are advanced in growth I will take them off, it just keeps the molluscs off for the first critical month or two of growth.

Does that sound safer to you Peter? I am assuming copper is pretty safe as it is in copper fungicides and the like, but yes I would not want it to grow and get embedded in the woody brassica stalk.


PS I am fit and well Peter but things have just been hectic, thanks for asking mate.

CoMpO

I don't think i can give any advice on this matter CoMpO, but you have been missed.

I've used newspaper, Compo. I've had no slug or cabbage root fly problem. I also plant below the surface of the soil and I mean to earth up the plants later on this month, so that the soil where it touchs the plant will be above rather than below the surrounding level. This will, with luck, encourage further rooting and make the plants more stable in strong winds.

I would agree with Peter, but if you intend to take the rings off once the plants are established, then I think you'll be OK.

That's a breakthrough Mike, how did you put the newspaper down? in thick layers? I would imagine it stops working in the rain though?

CoMpO