Susan W
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1858
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:46 pm
Location: Memphis, TN

Broccoli caterpillars from H

We can deal with the cabbage butterfly/ green caterpillars taking up residence on our cabbage/broccoli. Now, what is this caterpillar taking up condo room in the broccoli crowns?! Gets to about 1". striped, blue with brown and yellow stripes.

I had about 3 crowns doing something, and watching to pick. Then realized they were invaded. I picked, put in bowl of cold salted water. Disgusting! I had given a few starts to my son also in town when I had an overload. He said he was watching to pick and Yowzies! Nasty, He chucked them.

Surely others have these. Do tell

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30543
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Cross-striped Cabbageworm :arrow: https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/download- ... ubID=FS287

Look for patches of waxy yellow smear -- those are their eggs

I used insect screen cover over the broccoli and cauliflower last year. This year, was thinking I really should take a rotation break from brassica/crucifers, but tried to start some broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kohlrabi anyway -- had miserable seed germination and seedling failure. ...just as well.



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