Am so happy to have found your videos. You have shared so much valuable information to benefit amateur gardeners like myself. I will definitely apply your tips to Dave my plants from these pests. God bless you and keep up the great work.
Thank you so much. If you're interested in getting a signed copy of my book, The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook, which includes the most commonly-encountered insect pests, just drop me a note at Susan@SusansintheGarden.com. Have a great garden season!
One thing we do is plant our brassicas in the front yard away from our warm weather crops that need to be pollinated. We then hang mothballs inside a sock under a red solo cup (so the sock can’t get wet) and pin that to a stake next to our brassica bed. Cabbage moths & butterflies don’t like the smell of the mothballs. Have to be a bit careful of two things...one, don’t drive stake into your beds just in case mothballs somehow get wet...don’t want them to drip into garden bed and two, pollinators may also be deterred by the smell which is why we grow brassicas away from those type of crops. One year we did grow them together and our pollination seemed normal but have heard it is possible bees will be deterred by smell as well
Yeah, I don't like using non-organic products for insect control for the reasons you mentioned. I know it's challenging to come up with reasonable solutions, though!
For anybody wondering about the copper and slug/snail thing... If you have any old-school dental 'mercury amalgam' fillings in your back teeth, (and if you're feeling brave!), try chewing a small piece of aluminium kitchen foil. When it comes into contact with saliva, a tiny electrical current is generated which results in a truly horrible jolt of pain. A soggy slug touching moist copper experiences something very similar, so it really can be an effective and nature-friendly deterrent. Unfortunately, slugs are very good at burrowing under such protective sleeves, so an even more effective slug trap is a saucer of beer placed close to your plants and set down at soil level. Slugs love the fermented smell and taste of beer, and will choose it over your brassicas every time. I should mention that beer traps are fatal - the slugs will drown - but at least they'll leave this world happily drunk. Cheers! 🍺🐌
Interesting idea those copper rings, I'll give it a shot this year and see if it helps for those ones that do the Limbo under the netting somehow. I hand water so those rings might also act as a reservoir to direct the water right to the plant during my time of drought in July/August which seems to be getting longer with each passing year. I'm forecasting more rain catchment will be a project this year for me. Happy gardening everyone.
Loved the vlog. Thank you for showing these methods. I didn't quite do it right last year..... But spring is just around the corner 👍 need to order those two items. Bolt of premium tulle and copper tape.
Hi, Wendy. Last year, I switched from tulle to agricultural insect netting and it is fantastic! Here's info about this from a previous video: th-cam.com/video/uhDRiLX5070/w-d-xo.html. The company I bought it from is Gardenport. (www.gardenport.com/collections/insect-netting) Just wanted you to know. Even though the tulle has worked fairly well for me, it's quite fragile and aphids can get through it, which is so annoying!
Thanks for the great information about slug and copper. First time hearing about it here. May I suggest leaving water in a copper mug over night then mix this water with the regular water when you water your plant. I immagine it might work better since copper particles will be all over in the soil.
Hi there. Sort of! It depends upon the weight of the floating row cover. It comes in different grades. The lightweight version doesn't offer any frost protection. The medium weight offers protection down to 28 degrees F. and the heavyweight protects plants from 24 to 28 degrees F. The only downside for the heavyweight is that it only allows 30-50% light transmission through it, so it's recommended just for short-term use.
I love the metal conduit (that's what my electrician dad called EMT) to use for the taller hoops. I have 4 sizes of pipe benders that were dad's so I'm all set to make the hoops, except for purchasing the EMT. I'm guessing that Bill used 8' long pieces of the metal pipe to make the EMT hoops for your beds. Is that correct? Susan, this is such a great idea thanks for sharing! I'm planting brassicas for the first time in years, and I wrote Burpee 'Silky Sweet' turnips on my shopping list too. Happy gardening! ~Margie
Hi there! We started out with 10' long sticks of metal conduit for our hoops and trimmed off a little bit after bending the hoops. You are lucky to have all of the right equipment from the get-go as we made our own pipe bender.
@@nahnisjourney1406 Hi there. It's a DIY project that we made for my book, The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook. It was a bit tricky but it works! Bill figured out how to make it. If you'd like to purchase a signed copy of my book, just drop me a note at Susan@SusansintheGarden.com.
@@SusansInTheGarden. Thank you! I looked, but didn’t know it had projects in it as well. Again, thank you! And thank you for the tips on preventing squash bugs!
Loved this video. Thankyou. We live in The Netherlands and I can't find the variety Silky Sweet Turnip seeds overhere. Maybe you know where we can buy them?
The copper has a sticky backing, it's essentially a tape. Tape the copper around the top on the wood of the raised bed instead of individual plants. Connect a 9v battery to the copper for even better results.
Hi, Nicole. We have switched from tulle to agricultural insect netting (see agfabric.com) because the holes are smaller and it's much sturdier than tulle.
@@SusansInTheGarden Thank you for your reply! I was headed to Joanne's to buy Tulle tomorrow morning but you saved me a trip - bought this online instead! Thank you so much!
How did you get your broccoli to grow so straight? Mine all grew with a bend in them in spite of turning them. Also, did you grow in that size pot from the beginning or did you start in a smaller cell and transplant them? Great - and timely- video.
Thanks, Chris. I started the broccoli from seed in small pony packs, then up-potted them to 4" pots once the seedlings had their true leaves and I could see the roots at the bottom holes of the pots. Re: keeping them straight, I understand why you're asking because I find broccoli stems tend to lean a bit. But I was good about keeping the grow light just 2" above the foliage at all times so they would get enough light, and then while I put them through the hardening off process, the light breezes tended to help strengthen their stems. I'm glad you liked the video!
Great informative video as always! I know this is an older video but I had a question. I planted my broccoli in small 6 packs than potted them up to 2 1/2" pots. They are now about 4 to 8" tall. I have about 2 more weeks before I can plant them out. Should I put them in a bigger pot or do you think they will be ok in the 2 1/2" pots? This is my first time growing from seeds and I've learned so much from you...Thank you:)
Hi there. Congrats on your happy seedlings! That is awesome. If you see quite a few roots coming out of the bottom of the 2 1/2" pots, then I would up-pot them. Thanks so much for your nice comments.
@@SusansInTheGarden Thank you for taking the time to personally answer my question and help me. You've already taught me so much with your videos. Thanks again and Happy Spring:)
@@capecodcottagegarden My pleasure! And thanks so much for your kind comments. I have a lot of helpful information on my website, www.susansinthegarden.com/, just in case you haven't checked it out.
We have different sizes of hoops, with the EMT hoops I showed in the video being the tallest. To figure out how wide the floating row cover needs to be, you have to measure the length of a hoop and then add about 2 feet. So, for example, if you were to measure from the start of a hoop, up and over the bed to the other end of the hoop, take that measurement and add about 2 feet so you have enough to weigh down to keep the bugs out. For our regular hoops that are made with 1/2" recycled drip tubing, I need 7' wide row cover. You can find row cover in all sorts of widths online. The length of the EMT hoop is 97". As I mentioned in the video, there is a DIY project in The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook for making row cover hoops.
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that. Maybe you need to start it earlier? Or was it stressed in some way (i.e. not enough water)? Oftentimes, the bolting is a result of stressful conditions.
I've had mine in the garden for about 2 weeks now. I'm in the same area as you. Aren't you planting the broccoli a little late? I put the netting on and then put the row cover over that. That way all I have to do is take the row cover off.
@@SusansInTheGarden Strange as I live in the same area as you do and we've been in the low 40s to high 30s. Broccoli loves those temps. If it gets colder than that I cover mine up.
Hi, Barbara. I purchase my seeds from a lot of places: our local garden center, and online from High Mowing Organic Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Renee's Garden Seeds, Territorial Seeds, and Seed Savers Exchange. The artichoke variety is Tavor and the seeds came from High Mowing.
@@SusansInTheGarden Thank you for this information. I just discovered your blog, this week. I am catching up on your past videos. I love it. 5 STARS to you. Barbara
We made our own bender, which is in my new book, The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook. You can also purchase commercial pipe benders from places like Johnny's Selected Seeds.
If you're referring to use it over cabbage family crops, you can definitely use it all season. I only started with the floating row cover because we have a few more chilly nights in the forecast, then I'll switch to the tulle.
@@anniewildmush1284 Oh, sorry! Yes, you can use the white floating row cover for the entire season. That's what I always did until I started using tulle netting several years ago.
Hi, Elizabeth. Have you looked for it online? Do this search "corry's slug and snail copper tape barrier" and you'll see a lot of options, including Walmart and Home Depot. I have never tried pennies and I don't know that it would work because the percentage of copper in them is pretty low. But you could always experiment!
To be honest, I don't know if their skin reacts to the copper like slugs do, but it might help with cutworms. To keep them away from seedlings in particular, it's best to make a collar that is 1" above the soil surface and 1 1/2" below the soil surface.
As long as the seedling is small, it's easier to slip the ring over the top once I've planted it. I could certainly do it the way you're suggesting, but it's one less thing to juggle while I'm planting the little seedlings. But there are certainly many ways to do all sorts of gardening projects!
Yup, they can really be a problem. That's why floating row cover or agricultural insect netting works best on them if you cover the bed as soon as you plant your seeds or seedlings. The barrier works great!
You are a gem :) Thank you for all the valuable lessons you are sharing
Am so happy to have found your videos. You have shared so much valuable information to benefit amateur gardeners like myself. I will definitely apply your tips to Dave my plants from these pests. God bless you and keep up the great work.
Thank you so much. If you're interested in getting a signed copy of my book, The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook, which includes the most commonly-encountered insect pests, just drop me a note at Susan@SusansintheGarden.com. Have a great garden season!
One thing we do is plant our brassicas in the front yard away from our warm weather crops that need to be pollinated. We then hang mothballs inside a sock under a red solo cup (so the sock can’t get wet) and pin that to a stake next to our brassica bed. Cabbage moths & butterflies don’t like the smell of the mothballs. Have to be a bit careful of two things...one, don’t drive stake into your beds just in case mothballs somehow get wet...don’t want them to drip into garden bed and two, pollinators may also be deterred by the smell which is why we grow brassicas away from those type of crops. One year we did grow them together and our pollination seemed normal but have heard it is possible bees will be deterred by smell as well
Yeah, I don't like using non-organic products for insect control for the reasons you mentioned. I know it's challenging to come up with reasonable solutions, though!
I'm reusing my copper rings from last year. They worked great. Thanks for this
Great to hear, Susan!
For anybody wondering about the copper and slug/snail thing... If you have any old-school dental 'mercury amalgam' fillings in your back teeth, (and if you're feeling brave!), try chewing a small piece of aluminium kitchen foil. When it comes into contact with saliva, a tiny electrical current is generated which results in a truly horrible jolt of pain.
A soggy slug touching moist copper experiences something very similar, so it really can be an effective and nature-friendly deterrent. Unfortunately, slugs are very good at burrowing under such protective sleeves, so an even more effective slug trap is a saucer of beer placed close to your plants and set down at soil level. Slugs love the fermented smell and taste of beer, and will choose it over your brassicas every time.
I should mention that beer traps are fatal - the slugs will drown - but at least they'll leave this world happily drunk. Cheers! 🍺🐌
Interesting idea those copper rings, I'll give it a shot this year and see if it helps for those ones that do the Limbo under the netting somehow. I hand water so those rings might also act as a reservoir to direct the water right to the plant during my time of drought in July/August which seems to be getting longer with each passing year. I'm forecasting more rain catchment will be a project this year for me. Happy gardening everyone.
Happy gardening 🤗🥳
Wow your broccoli looks so healthy! I wanna make mines just like that!
Very good video as usual. thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
How high are the tubing over broccoli?
@@dc.9035 They are about 26" tall at the center.
Thank you
@@dc.9035 They are 26" above the bed at the top center of each hoop.
Loved the vlog. Thank you for showing these methods. I didn't quite do it right last year..... But spring is just around the corner 👍 need to order those two items. Bolt of premium tulle and copper tape.
Hi, Wendy. Last year, I switched from tulle to agricultural insect netting and it is fantastic! Here's info about this from a previous video: th-cam.com/video/uhDRiLX5070/w-d-xo.html. The company I bought it from is Gardenport. (www.gardenport.com/collections/insect-netting) Just wanted you to know. Even though the tulle has worked fairly well for me, it's quite fragile and aphids can get through it, which is so annoying!
Thank you so much for the tutorial! You answered a lot of questions I had. Blessings from Oregon.
I'm glad it was helpful, Melanie. Have a great garden season!
Very relaxing video and helpful too. I live in South Florida, too hot for broccoli, But, I love that plant.
Do you think you could grow it over the fall months, when it's cooler?
@@SusansInTheGarden Definitively, I would try next Fall and Winter season . Thanks
TH-cam felt bad for my lost broccolli crop and recommended this video to me. Thank you! 😊
Well, I'm glad YT pointed you to me!
Thanks for the great information about slug and copper. First time hearing about it here. May I suggest leaving water in a copper mug over night then mix this water with the regular water when you water your plant. I immagine it might work better since copper particles will be all over in the soil.
Thank you
Fantastic video!👌
Thank you very much!
Is floating row cover the same as a frost cover?
Hi there. Sort of! It depends upon the weight of the floating row cover. It comes in different grades. The lightweight version doesn't offer any frost protection. The medium weight offers protection down to 28 degrees F. and the heavyweight protects plants from 24 to 28 degrees F. The only downside for the heavyweight is that it only allows 30-50% light transmission through it, so it's recommended just for short-term use.
Thats a great idea to make rings, and I didnt know that copper tape was marketed for gardeners. I usually buy the copper tape for guitars!
Does the copper work with slugs and snails?
Yes, it does!
Excellent, thanks for the tips.
I love the metal conduit (that's what my electrician dad called EMT) to use for the taller hoops. I have 4 sizes of pipe benders that were dad's so I'm all set to make the hoops, except for purchasing the EMT. I'm guessing that Bill used 8' long pieces of the metal pipe to make the EMT hoops for your beds. Is that correct? Susan, this is such a great idea thanks for sharing! I'm planting brassicas for the first time in years, and I wrote Burpee 'Silky Sweet' turnips on my shopping list too. Happy gardening! ~Margie
Hi there! We started out with 10' long sticks of metal conduit for our hoops and trimmed off a little bit after bending the hoops. You are lucky to have all of the right equipment from the get-go as we made our own pipe bender.
@@SusansInTheGarden How ever did you all make your own pipe bender? Please do tell! 🙂🥒🥬🫑🥦
@@nahnisjourney1406 Hi there. It's a DIY project that we made for my book, The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook. It was a bit tricky but it works! Bill figured out how to make it. If you'd like to purchase a signed copy of my book, just drop me a note at Susan@SusansintheGarden.com.
@@SusansInTheGarden. Thank you! I looked, but didn’t know it had projects in it as well.
Again, thank you! And thank you for the tips on preventing squash bugs!
Loved this video.
Thankyou.
We live in The Netherlands and I can't find the variety Silky Sweet Turnip seeds overhere. Maybe you know where we can buy them?
The only supplier that I know of is Burpee Seeds. Perhaps there's another white turnip variety over there that is similar?
@@SusansInTheGarden thankyou. I have to do some research 🙂
I’m in zone 3 so a few more weeks wait for me before I plant my broccoli!
Brrr! Well, hopefully you won't have too much longer to wait!
The copper has a sticky backing, it's essentially a tape.
Tape the copper around the top on the wood of the raised bed instead of individual plants.
Connect a 9v battery to the copper for even better results.
Great video! Can you provide a link to the tulle you buy? I want make sure I get the kind that will prevent the dreaded aphids.
Hi, Nicole. We have switched from tulle to agricultural insect netting (see agfabric.com) because the holes are smaller and it's much sturdier than tulle.
@@SusansInTheGarden Thank you for your reply! I was headed to Joanne's to buy Tulle tomorrow morning but you saved me a trip - bought this online instead! Thank you so much!
How did you get your broccoli to grow so straight? Mine all grew with a bend in them in spite of turning them. Also, did you grow in that size pot from the beginning or did you start in a smaller cell and transplant them? Great - and timely- video.
Thanks, Chris. I started the broccoli from seed in small pony packs, then up-potted them to 4" pots once the seedlings had their true leaves and I could see the roots at the bottom holes of the pots. Re: keeping them straight, I understand why you're asking because I find broccoli stems tend to lean a bit. But I was good about keeping the grow light just 2" above the foliage at all times so they would get enough light, and then while I put them through the hardening off process, the light breezes tended to help strengthen their stems. I'm glad you liked the video!
Great informative video as always! I know this is an older video but I had a question. I planted my broccoli in small 6 packs than potted them up to 2 1/2" pots. They are now about 4 to 8" tall. I have about 2 more weeks before I can plant them out. Should I put them in a bigger pot or do you think they will be ok in the 2 1/2" pots? This is my first time growing from seeds and I've learned so much from you...Thank you:)
Hi there. Congrats on your happy seedlings! That is awesome. If you see quite a few roots coming out of the bottom of the 2 1/2" pots, then I would up-pot them. Thanks so much for your nice comments.
@@SusansInTheGarden Thank you for taking the time to personally answer my question and help me. You've already taught me so much with your videos. Thanks again and Happy Spring:)
@@capecodcottagegarden My pleasure! And thanks so much for your kind comments. I have a lot of helpful information on my website, www.susansinthegarden.com/, just in case you haven't checked it out.
@@SusansInTheGarden I haven't so thank you for telling me. I'll be sure to check it out:)
Great Videos! What weight of floating row cover do you use?
I use lightweight floating row cover, and also tulle (bridal veil netting). This year, we're going to test agricultural netting.
What time do you start you broccoli at in the year ?
Hi, Louise. This year, I started it indoors on March 7th and transplanted is into the garden on April 15.
I try this year and it been to hot I was told so am trying a fell one can I still put seeds in the ground to start them or in the house
@@louiseisaac9759 Where do you live? What zone are you in? I think it might be too late but this info would help.
Hi I stay in Edinburgh I think we zone 8?
@@louiseisaac9759 Yes, it looks like you are in zone 8b.
Great ideas and tips thanks so much! 💚
How long do you make your hoops and how much floating row cover do you need to cover the hoops and your bed?
We have different sizes of hoops, with the EMT hoops I showed in the video being the tallest. To figure out how wide the floating row cover needs to be, you have to measure the length of a hoop and then add about 2 feet. So, for example, if you were to measure from the start of a hoop, up and over the bed to the other end of the hoop, take that measurement and add about 2 feet so you have enough to weigh down to keep the bugs out. For our regular hoops that are made with 1/2" recycled drip tubing, I need 7' wide row cover. You can find row cover in all sorts of widths online. The length of the EMT hoop is 97". As I mentioned in the video, there is a DIY project in The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook for making row cover hoops.
I’m in zone 7a all my broccoli bolted!😌
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that. Maybe you need to start it earlier? Or was it stressed in some way (i.e. not enough water)? Oftentimes, the bolting is a result of stressful conditions.
I've had mine in the garden for about 2 weeks now. I'm in the same area as you. Aren't you planting the broccoli a little late? I put the netting on and then put the row cover over that. That way all I have to do is take the row cover off.
No, I'm planting it when I always plant it. We've had some really chilly nights so I like to err on the side of caution.
@@SusansInTheGarden Strange as I live in the same area as you do and we've been in the low 40s to high 30s. Broccoli loves those temps. If it gets colder than that I cover mine up.
@@wild_free_homestead I'm just a chicken!
@@SusansInTheGarden I understand that completely. My fear is hardening off my plants. I'm terrified that they will get sunburnt and die on me.
@@wild_free_homestead If you do the hardening process over the course of a week, they should do fine.
Susan, where do you purchase your vegetable and flower seeds? Artichokes, especially.
Hi, Barbara. I purchase my seeds from a lot of places: our local garden center, and online from High Mowing Organic Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Renee's Garden Seeds, Territorial Seeds, and Seed Savers Exchange. The artichoke variety is Tavor and the seeds came from High Mowing.
@@SusansInTheGarden Thank you for this information. I just discovered your blog, this week. I am catching up on your past videos. I love it. 5 STARS to you.
Barbara
@@ashcash111296 Thank you, Barbara!
Hi Susan , what did you use to bend the electrical metal pipe to the arch shape ?
We made our own bender, which is in my new book, The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook. You can also purchase commercial pipe benders from places like Johnny's Selected Seeds.
I only have tule, can i use that all summer or not enough sunlight and air flow?
If you're referring to use it over cabbage family crops, you can definitely use it all season. I only started with the floating row cover because we have a few more chilly nights in the forecast, then I'll switch to the tulle.
@@SusansInTheGarden im sorry im meant the white cover thats what i have
@@anniewildmush1284 Oh, sorry! Yes, you can use the white floating row cover for the entire season. That's what I always did until I started using tulle netting several years ago.
Hi Susan. Thank you for this video. I haven't been able to find the copper tape. Will pennies work instead?
Hi, Elizabeth. Have you looked for it online? Do this search "corry's slug and snail copper tape barrier" and you'll see a lot of options, including Walmart and Home Depot. I have never tried pennies and I don't know that it would work because the percentage of copper in them is pretty low. But you could always experiment!
Great video. Thanks, Susan.
What kind of soil do you recommend for growing broccoli? Any suggestions of a mix and how much of each . Thank you kindly
Hi, Virna. I grow broccoli in garden soil that has compost added to it. Sometimes I will add a bit of chicken manure as well.
Bet those copper rings would be good to keep cut worms away
To be honest, I don't know if their skin reacts to the copper like slugs do, but it might help with cutworms. To keep them away from seedlings in particular, it's best to make a collar that is 1" above the soil surface and 1 1/2" below the soil surface.
Why not simply slip the copper ring on during the planting process . . . slip it on from the bottom (root ball).
As long as the seedling is small, it's easier to slip the ring over the top once I've planted it. I could certainly do it the way you're suggesting, but it's one less thing to juggle while I'm planting the little seedlings. But there are certainly many ways to do all sorts of gardening projects!
We are in Texas. We have white butterfly 🦋 that lay eggs. They fly over every day!!!!They produce cabbage worms 🪱.
I hate them!
Yup, they can really be a problem. That's why floating row cover or agricultural insect netting works best on them if you cover the bed as soon as you plant your seeds or seedlings. The barrier works great!
They're really bad here in Nova Scotia. Can't stop them and they will destroy plants in no time.
I like 'Turnips'. My Mom 'boiled' them. I don't like 'Turnip Greens'. Thanks for the 'Ring' idea!