In April I went to some trouble to cover my everlasting cabbage bush with plastic netting which the man in the hardware store convinced me would keep out the cabbage white butterfly from laying caterpillar eggs on the brassica leaves. All seemed well for a few weeks. Then one day, I spotted a white pair of flitting wings INSIDE the net cage I have carefully constructed. There must be a gap somewhere, I thought. The butterfly was expelled by lifting the bottom of the net and I carefully checked for any other gaps and closed any possible entry points. However, another butterfly appeared inside and another. I had to admit defeat. I had chosen netting with mesh not fit for purpose. However,
I’ll keep the cabbage bush watered. As it is a perennial, it should recover as it did last year after being shredded by caterpillars. Meanwhile, next spring, it will be Enviromesh or some such gauge like netting which will be used to protect the precious brassicas I hope to be growing.
Trevor is co-founder and was, until his appointment to Government, a board member of Sonairte, the Irish National Ecology Centre, near Julianstown, County Meath which is an Agricultural Training and Visitor centre with a 2.2 acre walled organic garden. He is also a member of Amnesty International, the Dublin Food Co-op, the Irish Organic Farmers’ and Growers’ Association, Organic Trust and a former member of Macra na Feirme. A former teacher and fluent Irish speaker, he relaxes by reading, walking and playing music. His favourite form of relaxation is tending to his prolific organic garden at home in Balbriggan, North County Dublin, an area known by many as Fingal.
