Cabbage Worm
So, there I was, prepared for the Japanese Beetle Invasion Force, quietly preparing my beetle traps to capture them before they could destroy my garden. I knew I had outwitted them, that while they were strong in the ways of destruction, my brain could outwit them.
Little did I know they had formed an alliance!
These little green caterpillars are pure destruction wrapped in seeming harmlessness. They’re called the “Imported Cabbage Worm” because some time in the mid-1800’s they were transported from Europe to Canada, and have spread all through North America since then. They’re an invasive species, and unfortunately for my crops, very hungry.
Thankfully, their name indicates their preferred food. While I wasn’t growing any cabbage, I was growing broccoli and cauliflower, whose leaves are very similar to cabbage, and thus are preferred by the Cabbage Worm. This is a good thing, though, because it means they only attacked those two crops, and not my tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, or squash.
I did end up having to trash my broccoli and cauliflower crops this year, because these bugs destroyed them practically overnight, voraciously feeding upon every tender leaf and floret they could find. It’s okay, though, because now I’m getting ready for next year. I’ll have my beetle bags out there early, and I’ll figure out how to avoid the Cabbage Worms as well. It’s an up-hill fight, but well worth it to keep my vegetables safe.
That being said, does anyone know how to best protect against this particular pest? My garden will thank you for your help.
So much for being on an even keel again with posting.... completely overwhelmed IRL right now.
Hitch said,
July 23, 2008 @ 7:28 am
Actually, cauliflower & broccoli (and brussels sprouts) are all cabbage, bred from an original strain.
http://gardenline.usask.ca/veg/cabbage.html
“Although they appear very different, kale, cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are all the same species of plant.”
The things I learn from Alton Brown….(and, by extension, Deb Duchon)
JFargo said,
July 23, 2008 @ 7:32 am
You want to know what’s really interesting and kind of cool, Hitch? I just watched that Alton Brown* episode late last night and was thinking of mentioning it here in the comments!
*The king of cooking, in my book.
Bill said,
July 23, 2008 @ 7:53 am
To protect against them you can use covers. Let’s see, something like these:
http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=2001
tceisele said,
July 23, 2008 @ 8:12 am
Every fall, I get this catalog from Territorial Seed Company for their “winter vegetables”[1]. It’s a big, thick catalog, maybe 100 to 150 pages, and for each type of seed, they give the species name. I swear, half of the catalog consists of various varieties, hybrids, and mutants of Brassica rapa (turnips, chinese cabbage, bok choy, and a bunch of other stuff) and Brassica oleracea (a wild mustard that got turned into cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, you name it).
[1] It seems that, in some parts of the world, everything *isn’t* covered by several feet of snow from December through April, and “Gardening in February” is not synonymous with “Breathing on the Moon”. No, really! I’ve been told this by people who claim to have seen it! Sometimes, I imagine what it must be like to be able to just step outside any time of year, without taking massive precautions to avoid death by freezing first . . .
JFargo said,
July 23, 2008 @ 8:51 am
Thanks BIll, that’s a great idea for next year!
David Brady said,
July 23, 2008 @ 9:02 am
Awesome writeup as usual, JFargo. Thanks!
Buffer Status: images slotted up for the next 8 days. 1 Writeup. Today’s goal: Write 2 more and slot up another image to keep the 8 day lead.
operaticus said,
July 23, 2008 @ 12:11 pm
I love it! I learn something new on here every day.
Matthew Smith said,
July 24, 2008 @ 5:58 pm
they look delicious