Friday, October 18, 2013

Cabbage Worms

The Ecohouse garden has been experimenting with fall-weather plants: broccoli, kale, cabbage, arugula, spinach, turnips, radishes, brussels sprouts, and carrots and more! Fall gardening has been a new challenge for me. In the past few weeks I have been researching cold frames, high tunnels and hoop houses- trying to decide what the most cost-effective and best option is for our community garden. In all my online research on how to protect the crops from the first winter frost I overlooked an entirely different danger- the imported cabbage worm (Pieris rapae)!  

I found a small caterpillar along the spine of this leaf
I noticed many of the leaves had several holes. Earlier this semester a friend of mine had shared with me that her broccoli plants had been severely damaged from little green caterpillars- which she identified as cabbage worms. They typically feed on broccoli, brussels spouts, cauliflower, collard greens and kale- many of which we have in the Ecohouse garden. 

Next I had the very tedious task of turning over every leaf of every cabbage, kale, and brussels sprouts. Much to my surprise our quaint little garden had been inundated with these little green worms - and though small, they can do a lot of damage. Even though checking for the worms was painstakingly boring the worse part was having to squish the little guys I found. I had to continuously rationalize my actions to myself. Yes - they were destroying all the hard work and laborious weed pulling, compost adding and soil tilling the group performed months earlier, but I was still pretty grossed out! It's no secret... I don't like most insects, but I also have other people kill them for me upon their discovery in my home. I don't like being the one that does the dirty work. 

This is difficult to see- but there is a
small yellow egg on this leaf


There are options other than disgustingly squishing them; however, it was my best immediate solution. I also made sure to look for any eggs. It appeared that many of them had already hatched, but I found a few yellow oval shaped objects underneath the leaves that I believed to be eggs and quickly wiped them. Many online resources recommend the use of a Bt (Bacillus thuringiensisinsecticides. 

It is said that Bt toxins will only target caterpillars; however, I am still cautious of these types of products. I do not claim by any means to be an expert, but I have read that corporations have utilized Bt in certain GMO crops which may eventually became resistant to particular caterpillars. While Bt based sprays and powders may be a more feasible option than other brands I personally prefer more creative and labor-intensive methods. My small garden may not  do a massive amount of environmental damage with the small application of sprays, but if every small farmer and gardener subscribes to this idea as well, well then we have to consider the aggregate effect. 

Click here for a creative non-toxic method to controlling cabbage worms! Does it work? I don't know--yet! But it looks to me like a creative, fun and different approach to pest control! 

As I conclude this post I hope you will be vigilant gardeners that put time, love, energy and a conscious thoughtfulness into growing your food. For many it is a forgotten art, made all too easy today with chemicals and enhanced soils and seeds. It is entirely possible for someone to live their entire life without growing a single vegetable, or actually see a farm or farmers market. It is this lack of experience, rooted in a lack of awareness and urgency, that makes us an all-too-vulnerable society. 

This not-so-little guy had made himself at home on these kale leaves!
He may be difficult to spot at first glance!

Check out these online sources for more information: 


And please... plant responsibly! 

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