Drew Lawson wrote:
songbird writes:
Ian Gay wrote:
...
Since there's only 12 plants involved, it's not much work to
just pick the caterpillars by hand and stomp on them.

yep, that's what i'll be doing for now, but
still reading and interested in comments about
life-cycle or habits of creatures and plants.

so far one source says to enclose the head in
stockings to keep them out, but that doesn't take
care of those already inside or tell me if the
plant will out grow those inside (as they must
eventually eat enough at some point...) and end
up with a solid cabbage head after all.

Very dated experience has me doubtful that a cabbage worm could
ever get full.

heh, yeah, they sure leave huge piles
of droppings. yet they have to reach adult
size eventually.

it has really helped a lot to rinse the
plants off after picking the worms. makes
the next round of hand picking easier.

in picking them off today i've gotten the
population down significantly. only a few
dozen today and most of them the smaller
sized ones. will check again later.


I think the only zero-input method is enclosing the plants early
(row covers or such). Otherwise, picking or poison.

looks like hand picking will be tolerable.


My experience is with broccoli, but I assume they behave about the
same on cabbage.

brocolli must be easier. you don't have to
find 'em inside the curling leaves.


songbird