I have a couple patches covered with garden fabric this summer. One is broccoli, the other kale. At first I covered them because of the baby rabbits. Then my husband and son were so nice to put up chicken wire abound my garden to keep the cute bunny out. I left the row cover on the protect the plants from white cabbage butterflies. I am admiring how well my wood planks work as walking paths, patch dividers, AND row fabric holders.
Almost time to remove them I think because the plants are getting BIG.
8 comments:
Fabric is so much better than having to deal with caterpillars!
This was my first year using the fabric and I am SOLD on the idea. I never had such perfect broccoli. And not a worm on any of it.
(and I left mine on the entire time). I had to cut some pretty big pieces, but it's in great shape yet and I'll use it again next year.
What are you using to keep the fabric up off of the plants? It appears to be some sort of reinforced wire or something, but I'm unable to tell.
LOVE your site. Inspiring.
I have had to give up using fleece protection at the Lottie as it is very exposed the wind just rips it apart. So Whitefly and Cabbage White eggs have been a real problem. But we have deployed a new deterrant Garlic Water Repellant! Boil up water, put boiled water into large container with a lid (lid definitely needed) gently crush open a whole head of garlic put into the boiled water, put lid on and leave the garlic to infuse until water cold. Remove lid (now you will know why the lid was necessary!) take out garlic, put garlic water into plant spray and use as much as you need to for white fly etc. It stinks but whitefly can't fly off quick enough and it seems to stop the butterflies laying their eggs too.
Marian (LondonUK)
I'm using wire hoops to keep the fabric up. I buy a roll of maybe 16 gauge wire (I forget the gauge) at the hardware store and cut to the right length for hoops. They are goo when plants are small, but aren't really necessary at the fabric is so light It can be used without hoops. You can see the wire hoop in the lower left photo.
In the beginning of the season I had some white butterfly and so on my cabbage and broccoly as I was late to sow my white icicle redish around them( any where in the garden is fine does not need to be next to them). Right after my white icicle redish started growing I was free of many bughs, but the bast part was when they flowered. Butterflyes did not even look at my cabbage family any more, they just sniffed at the flowers of redishes. Will sow them next year at the same time so can start benefi right away. They are good for cucumber beatels and so too.
Huli
awesome! Thanks. Does any type of radish work?
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Garden-With-Bob/195257907158444?ref=ts
First of all,you have a wonderful garden and a very interesting site.I live in Calgary,Alberta,and i only have 3 months growing season between frost's.Most of the site i have been on are in the USA,which seem to have a way longer growing season than me.On the other hand,they seem to have more than their fare share of disease's and bugs.I don't get too much disease to speak of,and not too many bugs,certainly no slugs as our long cold Winter is enough to keep anything away.This being said,i think i will stick with my short growing season.However,everyone seems to have butterfly's and root maggots attacking the cabbage family.I stopped growing cauliflower and broccoli for this very reason.This year i went all out and made covers for these.I made frames out of 2+2's,8ft long,3ft wide by 18ins high.I covered these with quarter inch plastic mesh,which i placed end to end across the garden.The mesh came in rolls 50ft long and 3ft wide.I put 56 broccoli plants in and harvested 54,all at the same time,all the same size.I just started to harvest the cauliflower,but i lost 4 to root maggots.I have ordered 2oo ice cream pales for next year,there will be no more root maggots.It was well worth the effort and time to do this,being plastic,they will last years.There was not even a mark on the cauliflower or broccoli.
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