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Can cabbage be grown organically and still be grown decently?
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Posted by keepitlow 6/7 (My Page) on Thu, Oct 15, 09 at 9:12
| Mine looked like lace work as it was so bug eaten and had to be trashed. What can I do next year? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Can cabbage be grown organically and still be grown decently?
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| ID the pest, probably cabbage worms/loopers. Bt can control them, but a simple row cover applied at planting time and left in place during the season will also prevent them from shredding the plants. If it's the pest I am thinking of they are the larvae of the small white butterflies you see hovering around the yard/gardens. If they can't lay eggs on the plant, the plant is safe from them. |
RE: Can cabbage be grown organically and still be grown decently?
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| the main bug that we know of comes from the cabbage moth/buterfly, they lay their eggs and the process begins, so we do early morning safari looking for the freshly hatched eggs at that point all the grubs are together then we remove that leaf or portion, we also look for bigger grubs that we may have missed or that may have crawled from someplace else, this is all very successful for us in the early part of planting and the overlap into spring when the moth is about. we grow over our winter months when there are no bugs. try covering the plants with mosquito type net to keep the moth away from laying eggs. len |
Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page
RE: Can cabbage be grown organically and still be grown decently?
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| The two previous posts are good advice. You may also find the following web page helpful. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Insect Pest
RE: Can cabbage be grown organically and still be grown decently?
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| Organic gardening is more than wishing one does not have to use chemicals. Your crops must be watched, then the appropriate action taken, often picking off chewing pests and throwing them against the wall or placing them where the birds wait for them. As mentioned above, there are multiple options to save cole crops. All my leaf crops are helped by using row covers in the summer - both to lower temps and to shield them from cabbage moths and other flying critters. What gets thru I pick by hand as the 1st grader looks for peas and carrots. Altho organic is more manual labor, it is ultimately more rewarding and satisfying than other methods on many, many levels. Once you learn that you can do it, many doors open for you. Good luck, Dan |
RE: Can cabbage be grown organically and still be grown decently?
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| Since your cabbage family plants do not need to be visited by any pollinators at any time in the growth cycle they are prime candidates for Floating Row Covers from when the are set out to harvest and they will severly limit the ability of the moth and fly that produce the larva that are the cabbage looper or cabbageworms. The Bacillus thuringiensis - Kurstaki dusts can be used after the eggs are laid on the plants, but better is to prevent the eggs getting there in the first place if at al possible. |
RE: Can cabbage be grown organically and still be grown decently?
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RE: Can cabbage be grown organically and still be grown decently?
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- Posted by ga.karen 8 a/b Moultrie, Ga. (My Page) on
Sat, Oct 17, 09 at 13:27
| You don't give your zone or location, however, cole crops...cabbage, broccoli, etc. are cooler weather crops and will do very well during those times & generally the pests aren't available then either. I'm just getting ready to plant mine down here in the south. |
RE: Can cabbage be grown organically and still be grown decently?
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| All my brassicas do very well under row covers; actually they do better under cover. It is by far the easiest and efficient to reduce the pests. You also need to plant in a differnet location; crop rotation is a basic. hee hee Good luck. Dan |
RE: Can cabbage be grown organically and still be grown decently?
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| Spinosad works well if the pests get ahead of you. Link below. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Monterey Garden Spray
RE: Can cabbage be grown organically and still be grown decently?
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| A little OT, but I was wondering if floating row covers will keep the woodchuck pests off of the brassicas too? |
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