So, I am venturing into the world of vegetable gardening for the first time this year. I've actually been pretty successful - decent carrots, radishes the size of large plums, a decent crop of peas. The sweetcorn stalks are a decent size as well, and my tomatoes are looking promising. The cucumber plant doesn't look healthy, but has 3 short fat cucumbers on it so it can't be too upset.
I also bought purple sprouting broccoli, not realising you don't harvest it until the spring, but I didn't think there'd be a problem.
However, the leaves are all holy and infested with tiny, green caterpillars. I'm pretty certain the culprits are cabbage white butterflies (there are always at least a couple fluttering around and there are yellow, skittle-shaped eggs underneath as well). As I won't be eating the leaves, and won't be looking to harvest until next spring, do I just leave the caterpillars to help the butterfly population or would that be a bad idea?
(I'd be just picking off the eggs/caterpillars if I did get rid, as my veggies are in containers right next to the back door and we have cats and a toddler.)
TIA 