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kalettes getting annihilated

selinasallyselinasally Posts: 166
in Fruit & veg
I planted these from tiny seeds in April during lockdown- my starting off in getting to know my garden after 20 years of being too busy ... anyhow we love these and I thought I'd grow some- they did well and i protected then from almost decimation rom the cabbage white caterpillars, and now i think the snails or slugs are getting them. I moved them into this container and have been using nematode treatments and slug pellets and just do not know what to do .... any advice please ???
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  • selinasallyselinasally Posts: 166
    edited October 2020
    trying to put picture up but it won't show
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Welcome to the forum. I think the file was much too large to load.

    You might try pots that are higher off the ground, and also doing night mollusc hunts, with torch and scissors, or whatever method you like. Copper tape, gravel, hair, wool and things are dubious solutions that I have never found to work. You do need to keep a close eye on succulent greens. What are the white bits on the top of the earth?



  • selinasallyselinasally Posts: 166
    Hi there - so I bought this raised bed to be off the ground ... white bits are my overzealous application of slug pellets.... 
    lots and lots of wood pigeons in our garden -would they eat them ?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Typical pigeon damage. 

    And slug pellets attract slugs ... half a dozen would be enough for that area. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Bears and woods too @pansyface :D
    Too many slug pellets has the opposite effect as @Dovefromabove says.
    Pigeons love that sort of stuff though - probably a combination of both.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    That looks like pigeons to me. I grow kalettes and usually they leave them alone, but I guess it depends on what else is available to them. However we have had a deer move in, so I have netted all my brassicas, as she seems fond of brassicas and french beans. She did leave the hairy leaves of the runners alone.
  • WonkyWombleWonkyWomble Posts: 4,541
    Hello,  this is the second year I have grown kalettes. I've grown them in the ground and they Are now 3 foot tall. Mine are also getting attacked by cabbage white but I tend to plant 2 plants more than I need and let the bugs have their share. I don't spray or put pellets down but I do have frogs and hedgehogs that eat the slugs and snails. 
    From my experience I've found they grow larger directly in the ground. I tend not to worry about the leaves getting eaten as the kalettes grow up the stem like sprouts and the catapillers aren't around by the time we harvest. They Are very tasty and I use the leaves as spring greens if the bugs leave me any!!
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Yes, any damaged leaves on the stems can be ignored. I usually take the top out to eat first as you would with brussels, then all the side shoots start, which is what you harvest to eat. Best eaten lightly steamed I find. The purple colour goes and they are bright green. 

  • selinasallyselinasally Posts: 166
    Oh my goodness I had no idea pigeons like the leaves .. or that slug pellets attracted slugs - ok I’ll remove them and cover them too thank you for your help 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    No good trying to poison things with something they don't like to eat ... think mouse and cheese/chocolate in mousetraps  ;)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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