Catapillars are havingsome sort of party on my Sprouts, i wanna crash it. Tips?

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

I am not a great Gardener, i go by the "stick it in and hope it grows" policy.

My Sprouts have been doing very well, except now i am going out each morning to find Catapillars gathering on thier huge leaves. I am not happy, i don't wish to entertain hundereds of Green, wiggly things, especailly when they are feasting on my veg.

My garden is organic, i have already battled the slugs and seem to be winning, any tips for Catapillars? Should they not be uring into Butterflys and looking pretty by now?

And while im at it my Tomaots are playing home to little back flys/bugs?

Tips, advice please.

[GentleOtter]

Try picking them off and putting them on to a nettle patch. You have to do this every morning and it is a pain.
Once they are picked clean, cover them with horticultural fleece which deters the most willful butterfly.

Spray your tomatoes with an organic bug killer and plant some marigolds/ garlic/ basil at the base of the plants.

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

Pick them off!!!!!!!

You mean i have to touch them im allergic to Catapillars, so so far i have been shaking them off!

[GentleOtter]

Use Marigolds if necessary! Or flick them into a jar with a paintbrush.

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

Lol i have donned rubber gloves and picked them off, cringing whilst doing it.

You seem to be wise to these things GentleOtter, if you come back and read this, do you know when i need to harvest my Broccoli? I have heads on all my plants about the size of a small fist or slightly smaller, i don't know when to pick them and when i do pick them do i leave the plant or dig it up?

[wigglybeezer]

Er, I learned the hard way that the only thing to do is net all brassicas, sorry I know it is a pain but it does work.

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

Well they have destoryed my Srouts there are brownish splits in the stems and the leaves are lovely and big and Green but littered with holes, everywhere i look saya Catapillars hide and lay thier eggs on the underside of the leaf but i can't see any eggs and the Catapillars are big buggers sittig proudly, not hiding at all. First day there were literally hundreds and i will admit i just ripped it out the ground and tossed it in the recycling bin since then there have been a couple at a time, but after noticing the split brown patches on the stalks i think they are ruined.

I have only found 1 Catapillar on my Broccoli and it got flicked strieght off and i haven't found anymore, they are doing really well even after a slight battering they got from the slugs when they first went in.

Next year i shall net them from the beginning, i don't even have any pretty butterflys in my garden.

I haven't planted any cabbages this year, all my other veg is fine except my Tomatoes which have little black bugs on.

My Pumpkin which claimed to produce oe Pumpkin on the little tag is currently growing seven.

[AnarchyAunt]

Bribe the DC to pick off the caterpillars!

DD puts them in a 'caterpillar farm' (the weed patch at the end of the garden) and enjoys it greatly.

I drink tea and watch.

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

I should imagine DS1 would be scared and DS2 would eat them... hes that kind of child.

Plus all of our family are quite badly allergic so i haven't tested them yet.