Grow Broccoli & Control Their Pests 

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! 🍺🐌

RU-vid felt bad for my lost broccolli crop and recommended this video to me. Thank you! 😊

You are a gem :) Thank you for all the valuable lessons you are sharing

Excellent, thanks for the tips.

Great ideas and tips thanks so much! 💚

Wow your broccoli looks so healthy! I wanna make mines just like that!

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

Thank you so much for the tutorial! You answered a lot of questions I had. Blessings from Oregon.

Susan, you are always so informative. We have to grow in containers and fabric pots but your tips are still helpful. Your garden is very lovely!

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.

Thank you

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.

I'm reusing my copper rings from last year. They worked great. Thanks for this

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!

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.

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.

Fantastic video!👌

Very relaxing video and helpful too. I live in South Florida, too hot for broccoli, But, I love that plant.

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.

I’m in zone 3 so a few more weeks wait for me before I plant my broccoli!

I’m in zone 7a all my broccoli bolted!😌

Great video. Thanks, Susan.

Very good video as usual. thanks

Hi Susan. Thank you for this video. I haven't been able to find the copper tape. Will pennies work instead?

Great Videos! What weight of floating row cover do you use?

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.

Hi Susan , what did you use to bend the electrical metal pipe to the arch shape ?

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?

How long do you make your hoops and how much floating row cover do you need to cover the hoops and your bed?

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

Why not simply slip the copper ring on during the planting process . . . slip it on from the bottom (root ball).

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.

Is floating row cover the same as a frost cover?

What kind of soil do you recommend for growing broccoli? Any suggestions of a mix and how much of each . Thank you kindly

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:)

Does the copper work with slugs and snails?

I only have tule, can i use that all summer or not enough sunlight and air flow?

Susan, where do you purchase your vegetable and flower seeds? Artichokes, especially.

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.

Bet those copper rings would be good to keep cut worms away

What time do you start you broccoli at in the year ?

I like 'Turnips'. My Mom 'boiled' them. I don't like 'Turnip Greens'. Thanks for the 'Ring' idea!

We are in Texas. We have white butterfly 🦋 that lay eggs. They fly over every day!!!!They produce cabbage worms 🪱. I hate them!