I & H Prees wrote in message
k.net...
Pardon if this has been asked before but I'm a newbie (both to
vegetable
gardening and this newsgroup). I planted brussel sprouts for the first
time
in my Massachusetts garden this year. The seedlings I started inside
didn't
transplant well nor did many of the seeds I sowed directly take hold
in the
garden. I only have about three plants growing. And now the leaves are
covered with holes and I'm finding inch-long smooth green worms on
them.
They don't seem to be on any of my other vegetables or herbs. I try
not to
use any pesticides on my small garden but I'd like to have my kids see
at
least one impressive brussel sprout stalk grow to maturity...any
suggestions
for non-chemical/pesticide deterrents for these pests?
Also advice on getting brussel sprouts to grow in the first place

Thanks
-Holly

Don't know if you've noticed any white butterflies around, but if you
have, they're called cabbage whites here in U.K. They lay eggs on the
underside of any brassica leaves (cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts), these
hatch into either all-green or green/white striped 1" caterpillars, and
eat all of your crop.

Kill them. I'm an organic gardener so I do it by hand, leaf by leaf,
dropping the caterpillars into a pail of soap and water. Birds won't
even eat the caterpillars because they smell so bad (having eaten
cabbage). If you look on the underside of the leaves, you might see a
small yellow egg, or even a small group of eggs. Rub them off.

One tip about growing brussels sprouts that I only found out about
recently: they like to have thick soil around their roots, so get out
there with your gumboots and trample the plants in. If they grow in
loose earth, they don't produce tightly-bunched sprouts, they produce
sort of loose, cabbage-like things. Sounds like they prefer a more
clay-ey soil.

HTH, s.

I & H Prees wrote in message
k.net...
Pardon if this has been asked before but I'm a newbie (both to
vegetable
gardening and this newsgroup). I planted brussel sprouts for the first
time
in my Massachusetts garden this year. The seedlings I started inside
didn't
transplant well nor did many of the seeds I sowed directly take hold
in the
garden. I only have about three plants growing. And now the leaves are
covered with holes and I'm finding inch-long smooth green worms on
them.
They don't seem to be on any of my other vegetables or herbs. I try
not to
use any pesticides on my small garden but I'd like to have my kids see
at
least one impressive brussel sprout stalk grow to maturity...any
suggestions
for non-chemical/pesticide deterrents for these pests?
Also advice on getting brussel sprouts to grow in the first place

Thanks
-Holly