Caterpillar damage

oh poor you, how dishartening. we lost 2 apple trees this year to caterpillars. not the same sort that you have on your cabages the ones we had are toxic and can cause a nasty skin rash and there is just no getting rid of them easierly. i had an expert come in and look at them but he said that we could do one of two things, have the tree sprayed - which is also toxic and can take ages to break down in the garden, and would only kill them this year but they would proberly be back every year so this would have to be done every year! - not really pratical with a toddler! or i could cut them down and be done with it, so that is what we did.

Hi Majeekahead. When I started reading this I wondered what kind of monster caterpillars you must have :D I know I've planted way too many for the room I have so I should be OK. Will be having my first go at 'thinning out' when they get a bit bigger.

Really sorry to hear about your apple trees - I really like them in gardens and it's so nice to eat what you've grown.

peter i was actually glad to see the back of them to be honest, they really shut off the garden,- plantted right in the middle and they wer'nt to healthy either - i would'nt fancy eating anythin off them! but i did plant two other trees at the back of the garden to compensate for my tree masacre, but not fruit trees - a Rhus tree, and an Acer tree - which are both smaller and grown because they are 'pretty' - i am more of an ornamental gardener myself, although i do intend to try a few veggies next year with my daughter. - i'll proberly need your advice for that, - looks like you have lernt a lot this year! and you don't need to worry about these 'monster' catapillars by the way - unless you have fruit trees - they are not butterfy caterpillars, some sort of moth i think and once they attack a tree they keep coming back, you know if you have them because there nests look like big brown masses of cobwebs - yuck! and the caterpillars them selves are brown and fury. and horrible.