Broccoli being eaten alive!

[Vegetable28]

Hey, I'm new here and looking for some help. We planted Broccoli and its almost ready to flower but its being eaten alive by something. Someone told me to spray it with soap and water so I used antibacterial soap with water and sprayed all of them down. I took some photos of this mess, take a look. Anyone know how to take care of this?

[malcolmx]

this either slug or caterpillar damage
if you are not organic use slug pellets and water with a green foliage feed i think this is sulfate of ammonia and you can get a tub from homebase
if you are organic get some coffee grounds from cafe nero and spread round the base
caterpillars are either there or gone (as butterflies) if they are there pick off and destroy also look for eggs next time or you still can cover with fleece for insect protection

the plants will recover but the leaves are wasted

[Cabbagelover]

If you are growing in containers take a good look around the containers because slugs and snails will hid out during the day coming out at night to feed on your broccoli. Slugs love a beer trap and I've been told that they like hollowed out half oranges placed upside down on the ground and the next morning the slugs are hiding underneath the orange.

[paul]

Hi Veg,

My leaves went like that on a few of my plants, particularly my radish and suede. It looks a bit disheartning, but the actual suede and radish itself is perfectly healthy underneath all the holey leaves. Its only a problem i think if you only intend to eat the leaves i.e cabbage, lettice.

[alanroy]

Yes, I had that, and looking at the underside of the leaves they were full of different varieties of eggs

[rubyophelia]

Someone is eating my broccoli too!

The holes in my leaves aren't in the middle, like the pictures above. Something seems to be nibbling them from the edges.

I've also found some small yellowy orange clusters of eggs (I think) on the top side of some of the leaves.

I'll try the suggestions already posted but does anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks!
xx

[bw43]

Hi rubyophelia
I think I can help with your little egg clusters. I had maybe 15 plants with a lot of leaves that looked like the photo attached. I hit them hard with a spray bottle filled with a home made organic spray. I killed nearly all of them with the first spraying. And the second spraying finished them off. I can give you the recipe to my spay if you are interested.
BW43

[GillB]

Originally Posted by bw43

I can give you the recipe to my spay if you are interested.

Will your spray help with aphids too?
If so yes please to recipe.

[AprilPrimrose]

They're the eggs of the large white butterfly. I have just picked off the effected leaves and the rest of the plant is flourishing. Its a bit of a pain checking the underside of every leaf tho, but i guess it has to be done.

[gcolledge]

Hi bw43
I too am having big problems with things eating my broccoli. There seems to be more holes than leaf on some of them. I've tried beer traps for slugs - and it has worked to some extent. Please could I have the recipe for your organic spray?

[Chopin]

Oh my lord those damn caterpillars - I have suffered this year with every kind of caterpillar you can name. Prevention is better than the cure and I have learnt this the hard way and will be netting against butterflies/ moths next year. However this does not help in the present. Remove all the eggs you find - each one will turn into a munching machine and descimate your brocolli before your have time to blink.

One day I had beautiful purple sproating brocolli the next day I came out to find caterpillars on every square inch of each plant - it was like something out of an Alien film. I had very little bother from slugs/ snails on my broccoli so it I would say that the odds on favourite is the caterpillar. Remove remove remove!

[paulsherwin]

This does seem to have been a bad year for cabbage white butterflies. There are lots of them about and they lay eggs almost daily. I pick off the caterpillars whenever I see them but it's a losing battle.

Paul

[mor]

have you look underneath your plant the leaves it could be the green worm

[Gevalia]

LOL lol i thought id see a broccoli being eaten by a human!!!!hhahahaha

[semplecity]

Originally Posted by bw43

Hi rubyophelia
I think I can help with your little egg clusters. I had maybe 15 plants with a lot of leaves that looked like the photo attached. I hit them hard with a spray bottle filled with a home made organic spray. I killed nearly all of them with the first spraying. And the second spraying finished them off. I can give you the recipe to my spay if you are interested.
BW43

i need to save my plants... how can i get your recipe post haste??