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Growing Vegetables for Wildlife

penelope.amypenelope.amy Posts: 12
in Wildlife gardening
I'm trying to do as much in my garden to assist wildlife but I was wondering if vegetables as well as flowers can help.
I also interplant everything. There are no set spaces or divisions.
I'm in the process of sowing cabbages and broccoli and wonder if there are any benefits if I left a few untouched/uncovered, leaving them to wildlife. Any there pros or cons to this? 

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    You can leave an occasional  'sacrificial' plant unprotected at the end of a row so that the Cabbage White butterflies have a nursery for their caterpillars.  You can also leave an occasional brassica/lettuce/chard/radish/carrot/beet plant unharvested so that they can flower and attract hoverflies etc.  

    I don't recommend  bothering to make special access arrangements for molluscs ... they'll find their way to your veg and help themselves whatever you do.   ;)

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





  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    As will the Cabbage white butterflies  :)
  • penelope.amypenelope.amy Posts: 12
    Thank you. It was the cabbage that made me think about the caterpillars and butterflies that could benefit. I've left bet over winter and I'm in the process of letting parsnips run to flower.
  • penelope.amypenelope.amy Posts: 12
    *beet 
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