[BML]

Could anyone throw some light on the advice I have read that one should use a collar when planting cabbage plants.  What is the point and what protection does it give.  While I'm at the keyboard has anyone got any advice as to what to do about caterpillars?

[Sylvia]

Cabbage collars protect to a great extent against cabbage root fly, a small fly which lays it's eggs at the base of the cabbage. The eggs hatch into small maggots which eat into the cabbage roots. You can make your own collars from carpet underlay or similar rather than buy them.
As for catterpillars they can be picked off by hand (children are handy for this) though it is an almost full-time job!

[lachlanandmarcus]

Although it might be because they were in low raised beds, I havent had any slug or cabbage root fly problems and I used pieces of old sheep fleece around the cabbage seedling, and it has worked a treat. I mainly did it figuring it wouldnt be very comfy for slugs, and I havent seen a single one! Hurrah!

[BML]

Brilliant, that makes sense to me.

[Skirza]

Collars are a must in my opinion. I got cabbage root fly on every single one of my 120 brassica plants. Systematically dug every one of them up, took off the maggots, dunked them in Jeyes (not organic but I was desperate) and replanted. They are now thriving and covered with fleece as protection against the second wave of fly.

[manian]

we wrap the stems with foil to protect them
 

[BML]

Many thanks.  I'll make some collars up.