Nasty Bugs! Cabbage moth

emiwri · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:33 pm Post subject: Nasty Bugs! Cabbage moth

Last year cabbage moths and their larva in particular, decimated my broccoli plants. This year, I want to be ready for them! Evil or Very Mad

So I was planning to puree some old store bought garlic that's starting to grow in my cabinet and mix it with water (?) to use to deter them by spraying the underside of the plant's leaves with it.

Has anybody tried this?

Does it Work? and How well?

Newt · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:35 am Post subject:

I know that garlic does repel the cabbage moth but I've never tried a spray with it. You could plant garlic with your broccoli, plant dill with your broccoli or use row covers. Bt, a biological control is also an option.
http://www.figtree.org.au/companion_planting.html
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r108301011.html

Newt

emiwri · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:23 pm Post subject:

I think garlic is best planted in the fall here? Otherwise that would be a great idea. Dill would work! Laughing

of course I'd have dill growing there every year if I'm not careful! Still beats the cabbage worm!

Newt · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:19 pm Post subject:

You are correct that it's best to plant garlic in the fall, but if you are going to use it to repel pests it's worth a try. You could just purchase a bulb from the grocery store and plant the individual cloves for the season.

Newt

emiwri · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 2:54 pm Post subject:

That's a great idea! Afterall I already have garlic growing in my pantry , might as well stick it in the ground next to the broccoli. A lot less work than making garlic spray. Will the broccoli and garlic compete for nutrients? I'm guessing the garlic should be planted relatively close to be beneficial but how close is too close?

Newt · Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 12:25 am Post subject:

This site has some very helpful info on growing garlic.
http://www.thegarlicstore.com/index.cgi/howto.html

Here's some great veggie growing guides. I haven't read anyting about growing broccoli with garlic as a solution to the problem, though the last site does recommend a garlic spray.
http://www.explore.cornell.edu/scene.cfm?scene=home%20gardening&stop=HG%20%2D%20Find%20a%20Vegetable
http://www.uga.edu/vegetable/
http://www.gardenersnet.com/veggies.htm

Newt

emiwri · Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:45 am Post subject:

Thanks, Newt. Now I know what I was haveing problems with is actually called Cabbage Looper, the larvae of those rotten moths that were making regular trips to our broccoli plants. I tries the hand pick them off one by one last year. Those moths had more free time than I did though and I couldn't pick fast enough. I might try the wire cage method. I had some left over chiken wire. I'll probably put a few garlics in the ground but I doubt that they will grow big enough in time to be useful in detering those moths. I'll probably make some garlic spray to try just in case.

Newt · Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:38 am Post subject:

I'm so glad we now know who the dinner guest was!

Durgan · Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:16 am Post subject: A most destructive insect.

http://www.durgan.org/13%20July%202006%20Cabbage%20Moth/HTML/

Some pictures of the cabage moth. My experience. I am constantly chasing and eliminating these creatures. They lay eggs on cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, and broccoli, and possibly turnip. They lay numerous eggs and the larvae eat holes in the produce. At one time there are only four or five in the garden, and they are hard to catch. Very nasty creatures to have around for a vegetable grower! I tried to take pictures on the produce, and finally got two partial pictures of the moth on the peppers, and I don't think they lay eggs on this plant. Probably just resting.

When this moth appears steps must be taken to get rid of them, or many vegetables will be ruined. I have also seen them without the black on their wings, almost pure white. I use a spray malathion and spray them in flight, which is relatively effective. Using the hose and removing the eggs also helps. Commercial growers must have to soak their broccoli with insecticide.

http://store.arbico-organics.com/cabbage-moth.html Some information about this Cabbage Moth.
Durgan.
__________________

Newt · Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:39 am Post subject:

Durgan, malathion is a very powerful insecticide. You might want to consider using a floating row cover to keep the moths away. You should find these sites hair raising and frightening.

http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pesticides/pesticides/malathion/malathion.htm
http://www.chem-tox.com/malathion/research/

Newt

Durgan · Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:07 pm Post subject:

Newt · Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 5:26 pm Post subject:

Durgan, I must admit I don't understand your logic but maybe it's me. You spray a powerful and known carcinogen in the air and it lands on the soil and the veggies you will eat, including closed flowers, and your doggie walks through the garden and licks her paws and you think just because it's dispersed over a wide area it's safe? Is that what I'm reading?

Newt

Durgan · Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:35 pm Post subject:

Newt · Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 10:30 pm Post subject:

emiwri · Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 2:57 am Post subject:

Hmmm... as much as I would like to commit great harm to those damned moths, I don't think I want to help myself get cancer again. Wink

Thanks for the discussion, I enjoyed the read.

I'll try to post regularly about how my battle against the cabbage moths goes throughout the season.

Currently the broccoli seedlings are in my back porch, a sort of enclosed add on to the house. They're doing much better after being supported by kabob sticks.