Pesky Pests on broccoli and cabbage

[Simonmiller99]

I am a relatively new gardener getting somewhat frustrated by the troubles I am having growing simple broccoli and cabbage.

Despite using organic bug free sprays, my veg are getting eaten alive and I don't know by what as I can't see any evidence of the posts.

Attached are the photos first of the cabbage (grown from seed in small pots first and then in grow bages) and then the brocolli (grown from seed in small pots first and then a veg patch).







Any thoughts on pest control here would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Simon

[applestar]

Three worst pests of cabbage family vegs are slugs and butterfly/moth caterpillars.

I think yours could be being eaten by both considering their locations.

I see grow bags and think "ooh slugs could be hiding under the bag" and the strawberry jar nearby could be a great hiding spot for them as well. They won't be bothered by bug free sprays... Organic or otherwise. Best to check at dawn or dusk, or using a flashlight(torch) at night. (My neighbor caught me slug hunting in the veg patch in the dark when he was outside smoking a cigar one time ":shock: Is that YOU?" )

Do you see cabbage white butterflies flying around during the day? Check under the leaves (sometimes on top as well) for tiny creamy white eggs and look very closely for the camouflaged velvety green caterpillars. As the weather starts to cool down, they become desperate and dump dozens of eggs per leaf.

Cabbage moths are more prevalent in hot summer areas and they lay eggs at night. Their eggs like a small spot of white or yellow wax on the underside. Typical moth behavior -- each waxy spot represents many many eggs, and the hatched caterpillars feed in large groups.

Pick off or smush any you find. I drop them in a container of soapy water.

If you see a large deposit of eggs and number of caterpillars, your best options to use Bt. If you want to stay organic, make sure the formulation contains approved wetting agents, etc. Bt is bacteria specific to insects. make sure to get the strain for butterflies and moths (there are also one for flies/gnats/mosquitoes and one for beetles). The Bt bacteria colonize their digestive system and kill them after they et the Br sprayed foliage. You will be ale to use this product against any other butterfly/moth worm pests in the garden.

BUT! Be sure to spray ONLY the cabbage plants or specific vegs you want to protect because the spray WILL kill other desirable butterfly and moth caterpillars as well.

Next time, it would be best to put cabbages and broccoli under some kind of cover as soon as they are planted outside (this can be a pain since you still need to check for slugs but all access to the butterflies and moths needs to be closed off). I use insect screen tunnel, screen covered umbrella-like picnic protector, and am now experimenting with pop-up laundry basket for larger plants. You could also make your own wire or wooden frame and cover with window screen, tulle fabric, old sheer curtain fabric, etc.

[Simonmiller99]

Thank-you Applestar, most helpful but what is Bt please?

[Simonmiller99]

In fact, just had a closer look under the leaves and this is what I found in the picture below. So what's the best way to stop these green things please?

[Francis Barnswallow]

I've had tomato plants look like that this season. My problem was the southern army worm (again). If you don't catch them while they're young, your plants will look like someone shot them repeatedly with a shotgun. And it doesn't take long for that to happen, its just a matter of days.

[Simonmiller99]

Thanks all. Visited a few garden centres here in the uk on the weekend and couldn't find BT but have come away with a spray that I hope to do the trick if not too late.

[applestar]

In case you haven't seen this
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=48030

[rainbowgardener]

don't know what you bought; hope it works for you without being too poisonous. I think UK is a little bit more enlightened than here re what is sold in garden centers. Here in the free-wheeling US you can buy at any garden center major persistent broad spectrum carcinogenic wildlife killing poisons.

BT bacilllus thuringiensis here is sold under trade names like Thuricide and Dipel. I imagine if you Googled it, you could find the trade names for it there.

Organic gardeners like it, because it is a bacterium that infects and kills certain caterpillar/ larvae type pests, (including as noted some butterfly caterpillars), but is very specific and harmless to everything else.