Cabbage Loopers, or maybe they’re Imported European Cabbage Worms, are back in my garden. Last year, I handpicked them vigilantly and didn’t sustain too much damage. This year I kept my crops covered with plastic hooping when it was really cold and floating row cover now that it is warmer.
Protective Row Cover Pulled Back Revealing Pest and Edibles
I’ve seen the white adult butterflies with their signature dotted wings flittering about my garden, looking for their favorite hosts (aka my cabbages and cauliflower). I thought the defenses were up and the crops were secured. Then, I pulled back the floating row cover in one bed to do some weeding, seeding and crop inspection. And, dang, there were a couple of worms chomping away. SQUISH! Now they’re gone and my organic veggies are barely damaged.
So, what’s the message? Well, if there’s any opening in the floating row cover, those egg-laying white wonders are going to get into the plants. In one bed, my row cover is tightly secured over hoops with no entry point available. In the infested bed, the row cover is somewhat secured but mostly just floating. That weak link in the chain of defense meant the invaders made their way in.
Now I’m checking daily (if not a couple times a day) for worms on my cabbages. And, the floating row cover is more secured in all areas.
The best part about picking off the worms? Seeing my cabbages starting to tighten up and form yummy purple balls and little buds of cauliflower beginning to appear amid the protective leaves. I think I might even harvest my first cabbage today. Not only will that make a tasty addition to my endless salads, but it will also open up a planting spot for one of my Butternut squashes that are ready to move out of the greenhouse and into the garden beds.
