@BobTheGardener, I guess it's a combination of the rape and me choosing to grow brassicas this year. I can't recall what was in those two fields last year, but the last brassica crop I had problems with was a plague of caterpillars on the broccoli and cavalo nero. I lost some because the caterpillars appeared while I was on holiday, but I saved quite a lot because at least the caterpillars don't fly and are more easily caught. These flying weevils are something else, and more annoying because it's not my fault or failing that's caused them. Finer netting would have stopped more of them, and at least I can still harvest the kale and the broccoli leaves. Doesn't make it much more palatable though.
I've taken to growing the 'easier' things and being fine with the shops for the others. I've grown brussel sprouts decimated by black fly, cabbage that didn't head and was full of caterpillars, broccoli that was bitter and disgusting, etc. The stuff from the shop really does taste much better than mine. Others I've switched varieties.. in past years my kale stir fry came with a good portion of caterpillar protein despite a soak in salted water and three rinses. (My husband and I would keep track on the edge of our plate who got the most and largest, of the ones we found 😳). This year I grew a thin leaved variety, and the caterpillars don't even seem to like it.
Give up on some things and try different versions of another. And as another said.. smaller crops and wider variety.
I'm very new to this so my lack of knowledge and non-existent skillset mean my hopes are set pretty low. I do agree with the diversification argument though - definitely gives you more chance of the odd success amongst the effing disasters. I'm going to give up on anything that doesn't work this year and keep trying different things until I can settle on a few vegetable crops that I get a return from (in addition to rhubarb and strawberries, which have been good with zero effort so far).
Fortunately I have a diverse range of crops on the go: In the 'brassica pavilion' caulis x 16 mixed kale x 5 broccoli x 7
In the greenhouse tomatoes x 5 (three different varieties) pepper x 1 basil courgette x 1
In pots outside Tomatoes x 2 Cucumbers x 2 (probably 1.5 plants more than I need, but I was given the seeds in a gift box and have been expected to grow them - so far looking good though!)
In two other completely separate beds Courgette x 1 Parsnip seedlings x 2 short rows Beetroot seedlings x 1 short row Potatoes x 8 - have harvested from two plants so far, and all were from rogue potatoes left in the soil last year Sweetcorn x 5 (only 5 of 12 old seeds germinated, but the flowers are almost open and they are in a little block) Frisee lettuce x 3 remaining mature ready to cut, plus short row of seedlings Mustard ruby streaks that's ready to be pulled up for compost to make room for some leek seedlings that are more than ready for planting Kailaan that I've given up on and which will also go on the compost - it was good while it was young, but as it's also a brassica and isn't under netting, it is suffering some caterpillars, plus it got a lot bigger than I expected. Pak choi x 6 about to bolt Coriander calypso x 4 Rocket x 1 short row
We've also had the most bumper strawberry crop this year, way better than normal, so there's plenty of scope for pests across the whole range. I had been going out most nights picking snails off the strawberries and lettuces, and I did also have some caterpillars on some of the netted brassicas, clearly from butterflies that had laid eggs before they went into a place of relative safety.
All of the above crops take up only a very small part of a stupidly big garden, so a part of my despair with the weevils was around it being yet another job I hadn't anticipated having to do, and whilst trying to tackle that I'm not tackling the 400 feet of 'flower' borders we have, which are more weed than flower.
If I had known that a rape crop might equal pests for me I would have either reconsidered my crop or the type of netting, but I already had the netting and I thought I only needed to keep butterflies out. You live and learn....
I had aimed not to grow much veg this year in an effort to finally reclaim the rest of the garden, plus we were meant to be having time away in the summer....but Covid came along, my OH decided to dig a new veg bed, and so all plans changed.
I won't be growing anywhere near this amount next year, and the year after we will hopefully have relocated south and will have a much smaller garden, one where the previous owners have lovingly created something to my taste, giving me scope to sit out and enjoy it rather than feeling obliged to work in it every day.....I can but dream...!
All that aside, I suppose only time will tell whether these evil weevils are actually damaging the cauli and broccoli florets, but if anyone knows the likelihood of me finding anything still edible I'd be grateful as it will help me decide whether it's worth continuing to weed around them and otherwise generally tend to them. I believe there's nothing much I can do to get rid of them now, especially when they hide so far down in between the leaves and the heads, but I might still pick off the ones on the outside of the netting as the sticky tape was working well in that respect.
The remaining alternative is that since a lot of them are also sitting on the roof of our caravan, and we are taking a short trip further north later this week, we get up to John o' Groats, do a handbrake turn and fling them all off the tip of the country and into the sea, cackling wildly like a mad banshee!!
No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.
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@B3, more wine sounds eminently sensible! 🍷🍷🍷🍷
In the 'brassica pavilion'
caulis x 16
mixed kale x 5
broccoli x 7
In the greenhouse
tomatoes x 5 (three different varieties)
pepper x 1
basil
courgette x 1
In pots outside
Tomatoes x 2
Cucumbers x 2 (probably 1.5 plants more than I need, but I was given the seeds in a gift box and have been expected to grow them - so far looking good though!)
In two other completely separate beds
Courgette x 1
Parsnip seedlings x 2 short rows
Beetroot seedlings x 1 short row
Potatoes x 8 - have harvested from two plants so far, and all were from rogue potatoes left in the soil last year
Sweetcorn x 5 (only 5 of 12 old seeds germinated, but the flowers are almost open and they are in a little block)
Frisee lettuce x 3 remaining mature ready to cut, plus short row of seedlings
Mustard ruby streaks that's ready to be pulled up for compost to make room for some leek seedlings that are more than ready for planting
Kailaan that I've given up on and which will also go on the compost - it was good while it was young, but as it's also a brassica and isn't under netting, it is suffering some caterpillars, plus it got a lot bigger than I expected.
Pak choi x 6 about to bolt
Coriander calypso x 4
Rocket x 1 short row
We've also had the most bumper strawberry crop this year, way better than normal, so there's plenty of scope for pests across the whole range. I had been going out most nights picking snails off the strawberries and lettuces, and I did also have some caterpillars on some of the netted brassicas, clearly from butterflies that had laid eggs before they went into a place of relative safety.
All of the above crops take up only a very small part of a stupidly big garden, so a part of my despair with the weevils was around it being yet another job I hadn't anticipated having to do, and whilst trying to tackle that I'm not tackling the 400 feet of 'flower' borders we have, which are more weed than flower.
If I had known that a rape crop might equal pests for me I would have either reconsidered my crop or the type of netting, but I already had the netting and I thought I only needed to keep butterflies out. You live and learn....
I had aimed not to grow much veg this year in an effort to finally reclaim the rest of the garden, plus we were meant to be having time away in the summer....but Covid came along, my OH decided to dig a new veg bed, and so all plans changed.
I won't be growing anywhere near this amount next year, and the year after we will hopefully have relocated south and will have a much smaller garden, one where the previous owners have lovingly created something to my taste, giving me scope to sit out and enjoy it rather than feeling obliged to work in it every day.....I can but dream...!
All that aside, I suppose only time will tell whether these evil weevils are actually damaging the cauli and broccoli florets, but if anyone knows the likelihood of me finding anything still edible I'd be grateful as it will help me decide whether it's worth continuing to weed around them and otherwise generally tend to them. I believe there's nothing much I can do to get rid of them now, especially when they hide so far down in between the leaves and the heads, but I might still pick off the ones on the outside of the netting as the sticky tape was working well in that respect.
The remaining alternative is that since a lot of them are also sitting on the roof of our caravan, and we are taking a short trip further north later this week, we get up to John o' Groats, do a handbrake turn and fling them all off the tip of the country and into the sea, cackling wildly like a mad banshee!!