5 Strategies for Natural Cabbage Worm Pest Management

5 Strategies for Natural Cabbage Worm Pest Management

What Ain't No Cabbage Worm Messin' with My Greens? Here's How to Keep 'Em Away!

Get ready to put the kibosh on those pesky cabbage worms that have been chowing down on your garden like a never-ending all-you-can-eat buffet. Organic gardeners everywhere are faced with the challenge of dealing with these tiny but mighty destructors, and this post will give you five kickass ways to both avoid and eliminate cabbage worms from your beloved cole crops. Buckle up and let's get crackin'!

How to Identify Those Greasy Little Suckers

Spotting signs of a cabbage worm infestation isn't rocket science. You'll likely first notice holes chewed into your cabbage or broccoli leaves or leaves that look like they've been stripped of their flesh. Sometimes, the worms will go for the bottom layers, leaving behind a top layer that looks like stained glass. Yuck!

You might also notice dark green frass (their poop) scattered around. If the worms are small and hard to spot, the frass might be your first clue. Keep an eye out for 'em on your kale, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, collard greens, turnip greens, leafy greens, and even radishes. Ugh, just thinking about it makes me cringe.

Prevent These Green Menaces: Barrier Methods

Here's the deal: cabbage worm eggs are laid on your plants by a moth. If you can keep those moths away from your plants, you won't have any eggs to deal with. That's where our buddy, the floating row cover, comes in. This lightweight, portable barrier will keep moths from laying their eggs on your plants, thus preventing a cabbage worm infestation before it starts. This method is one of the top recommended for keeping cabbage worms at bay and among the most effective [1].

Tips & Tricks: Roll out the floating row cover over your plants as soon as they sprout and keep it on until the plants are mature. Most varieties need to be covered for about 2-3 weeks for effective protection.

Eliminate the Wormies: Handpicking

Alright, so you've already got a cabbage worm problem and you're looking for a solution. If you're willing to put in the time and effort [2], handpicking the little blighters is your least invasive option.

Steps to Success:

1. Check your plants daily, especially during the late spring and early fall when the worms are most active.
2. Pick off any worms you find and crush those pesky eggs underneath the leaves.
3. Repeat, repeat, repeat!

Pro Tip: Be on the lookout for yellow eggs attached to the undersides of the leaves.

Organic Pesticide Options: Boom, Roasted Wormies!

Listen, I'm all for less invasive methods to control garden pests, but sometimes organic insecticides just ain't enough to save your plants. In a pinch, here are some effective options:

Bacterial Thuringiensis (BT)

Top Pick: This organic pesticide is a bacteria that specifically targets caterpillars like cabbage worms. It works best when sprayed on young worms and requires weekly reapplication and post-rain applications.

Spinosad

Second Fiddle: This pesticide is slightly harsher on beneficial insects, so it's important to be careful when using it. Keep it as a last resort and use BT first.

Cornmeal or Rye Flour

Old Wives' Tale: Rubbing cornmeal or rye flour on the leaves might ward off cabbage worms, but you'll need to reapply often as rain washes it away.

Companion Planting: A Natural Cabbage Worm Repellent

For more detailed information about companion planting for pest control, go here.

Another strategy to deter cabbage worms is trap-cropping—planting mustard to lure the worms away from your brassicas like broccoli and cauliflower. Sounds crazy, right? But it might work!

When Planning Your Garden:

• Plant tighter heads of cabbage since worms seem to dislike these varieties.
• Attract cabbage worm predators like paper wasps, yellow jacket wasps, and tachinid flies by planting cilantro, dill, parsley, coriander, buckwheat, sweet clover, aster, chamomile, and shasta daisy.
• Don't forget about your feathery friends: chickens and various birds eat cabbage worms and can help keep populations in check. Provide them with a birdbath or perch to attract 'em closer to your garden.

In Conclusion

Dealing with cabbage worms may always be an uphill battle in your garden, but by incorporating these organic prevention and control methods, you'll see a significant improvement in the health and success of your brassicas. Happy gardening!

*Links below contain affiliate links.

More Resources:

• Practice Organic Cabbage Worm Control for a Chemical-Free Garden
• Cabbage Worm Control
• How to Identify and Get Rid of Cabbage Worms
• The Tachinid Fly: A Parasitic Fly with Pest Control Potential

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1. A Note on Sources
2. Organic Gardening: Hand Picking Investment
3. Pest Control with Companion Planting
4. Floating Row Covers to Foil Pests
5. To prevent cabbage worm infestations, consider using the floating row cover as a barrier during sprouting and for about 2-3 weeks for effective protection. This method is highly recommended for organic gardeners.
6. For those seeking a less invasive solution, handpicking the cabbage worms daily, especially during late spring and early fall, can be an option. Be sure to crush the eggs underneath the leaves as well.
7. If organic pesticides are needed, consider using Bacterial Thuringiensis (BT) as a top pick, Spinosad as a second choice, or applying cornmeal or rye flour as an old wives' tale remedy.
8. To deter cabbage worms naturally, consider companion planting methods such as trap-cropping mustard to lure worms away from brassicas or attracting cabbage worm predators like paper wasps, yellow jacket wasps, and tachinid flies by planting certain herbs.
9. Chickens and various birds can also help keep cabbage worm populations in check. Providing them with a birdbath or perch can attract them closer to your garden.

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