Landcress ~The Caterpillar Killer!

That heading is a bit dramatic but did any Aussies watch Gardening Australia last week on Saturday 14/3/15. You can view the Fact Sheet here if you missed the episode. Jerry Coleby-Williams spoke about a plant that his Nan grew amongst her brassicas to deter the Cabbage White Butterfly and the Cabbage White Moth.

As Jerry's Nan was an organic gardener she experimented with growing Landcress (Barbarea vulgaris) instead of Watercress during a bad drought in England in 1975 as the Landcress plants required less water. She grew them amongst her cabbages and found that she had the best crop of cabbages that year. I read in an article on Jerry's website Jerry Coleby-Williams: Sustainable Gardening in our Continually Surprising Climate that recently the University of Queensland had confirmed that his Nan was right and that Landcress does indeed deter the butterflys and moths that like to chew their way through our brassicas that we plant at this time of year.

I wish I had known about Landcress this time last year :-(

 The University of Queensland's research has proven that the pesky moths and butterflies are attracted by the Landcress instead of the brassicas and they lay their eggs there. Once the caterpillars start to munch away on it they drop dead and apparently others come along and repeat the same mistake.

In his article Jerry mentions that the Barbarea vulgaris seeds are available from Eden Seeds and they are called Cress American Upland on their site.

I ordered some online after watching Gardening Australia and they were $3.20 for 300 seeds. Now I need to plant them quickly and hope they save my brassicas that I have already planted from being munched on by the butterflies and moths which are a real problem at this time of the year.

 

 

It hasn't been gardening weather these last two days as we have been having a heatwave but it is cooling down now and getting back to normal autumn weather once again. Autumn heat records have been broken these last few days even in Mt.Isa which recorded over 41C.

 

 However, this little boy just laughs it off. He is Mt.Isa born and bred....for the last 13 weeks anyway!

He is at the laughing stage apparently and is a real hit with his big sisters. I will get to see him in 6 weeks time which will be lovely as he is growing so very quickly.  For now I will have to be satisfied with mobile phone photos.

I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend and that it cools down for those who have been coping with a heatwave these last few days and that those in the Northern Hemisphere are starting to thaw out and see some colour in their gardens. White is so yesterday! :-)