How to Protect Cabbage Heads From Cabbage Worms
Cabbage worms are seemingly insatiable; if you have cabbage heads, kale, broccoli, sprouts or any other similar tasty greens growing in your garden, they'll find them and eat their fill until nothing is left. Unfortunately, these pests are common in most temperate climates. But, on the other hand, they can be controlled without the use of pesticides that might be harmful to your crops. The following steps detail a time-honored practice for deterring cabbage worms from your thriving greens. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Pour a few ounces of room temperature buttermilk into a plastic spray bottle. Take this spray bottle and a shaker of crushed red pepper out to the garden.
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Spray a thin layer of buttermilk over your cabbage heads, broccoli, kale, sprouts and cauliflower, as well as any other vegetables that you've had victimized by cabbage worms.
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While the buttermilk is still wet, sprinkle a light dusting of crushed red pepper over those veggies. The buttermilk will help the pepper to adhere to the vegetables, and the combination of the two ingredients will be a major turnoff to cabbage worms.
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Repeat the buttermilk and pepper procedure after every rainfall or about every two weeks during dry periods.
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Wash all of the treated vegetables very well after harvesting.
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Tips & Warnings
Cabbage worms are big enough to see and handle. If you catch one in the act of violating your veggies, pluck it off and give it a good toss away from your garden.
If this treatment does not fully solve your cabbage worm problems, consider buying a commercial insecticidal soap, which can combat common garden pests without putting your plants and produce at risk.
If you get crushed red pepper on your hands and fingers, be careful not to rub your eyes.
