Lookie who I found, nicely disguised against my green cabbage plant. What the heck?! I had these plants outdoors for only a few hours this week. How did this guy hunt down my plants so quickly?
Research tells me that this is the bloody CABBAGE WORM! And he brought friends--I found three others so far. With nearly 200 cabbage seedlings in the works, this aint a good sign. Cripes. Caterpillars are cute in kids' books, but not so much on my heirloom plants.
In the meantime, I understand that caterpillars loathe white flour. Upon eating it, they bloat and die. So our Cabbages and Brussels will get a flour dusting this week.
It's getting closer to outdoor transplant time ... I have a feeling that insects are soon to become my worst enemy. This means that it's also almost Jerry Baker tonic time. Do you have other natural bug control recommendations?
Our problems come in a much larger form. We've taken to container-gardening almost exclusively because the rabbits and squirrels ravage everything we plant directly into the ground.
ReplyDeleteWe're currently negotiating a spot for a caged-in spot for tomatoes...a raised bed to keep out rabbits, caged in to keep the squirrels away. Squirrels taunt us by taking one bite out of an almost-ripe tomato and then pitching it to the ground. Maddening!
Our neighborhood runs rampant with squirrels and cats, and lately I've seen dozens of rabbits out and about. So..."maddening" pest experiences is what I have to look forward to, I suppose. Lovely.
DeleteYou can also try covering your plants with floating row covers or even tulle fabric to keep the cabbage white butterflies (those have been all over my garden this past week) from laying eggs on your plants in the first place. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Colleen. I also noticed many moths and butterflies around today--I'm sure the cabbage white bugger was out there, looking for the heirloom salad bar. I like the idea of using tulle.
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