Buggy Garden Leaves

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I am doing a Fall garden. One day everything is fine, and the next day, many of my leaves on the broccoli and collards are eaten to the point that they are mere skeletons of what they were yesterday.

How do I get rid of the little bugs. Hoping to do it organically, but I'll settle for some insecticide or whatever if I have to.

-- Sharon (sworthy@usa.net), October 11, 1999

Answers

The cabbage worms are still out up here--thats what your crittur sounds like to me. Seven garden dust works real well on any kind of wormy insect. Its not organic but its toxicity is low except to honeybees. Do not apply when bees are in the area.

-- Sam Mcgee (weissacre@gwtc.net), October 11, 1999.

The cabbage butterfly larva is green, about
the same color as the broccoli stem. Once
you identify one, you can physically romove
them one at a time. I used to drop them in a
can of motor oil. Keep up the attack on them
every day. Soon you'll find that most of them
have been removed and your plants will thrive.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), October 11, 1999.

Just checked Rodale's Organic Plant Protection
and the suggest BT (Bacillus Thuringiensis).
The Bug Book agrees on physical removal, but
also suggests spraying plants with a light salt
solution (I don't like that one) or powdered lime.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), October 11, 1999.

Thanks much for the answers!

-- Sharon (sworthy@usa.net), October 12, 1999.

Get some DERRIS DUST. I believe it is just some ground-up plant. It is an organic insecticide.

-- Davo (farfara@wayfr.omhere.net), October 13, 1999.


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