Cabbage, kale and broccoli are cool seasonal crops. In other words, many people start planting it in the spring. However, these lush greenery love the mild temperatures between March and June, but what they don’t love is the hungry pests that appear around the same time.
Cabbage worms, cabbage loopers and slugs are some of the most powerful pests that are not shy when it comes to devouring your soft new seedlings. And they don’t just chase cabbage, kale or broccoli. They love all members of the Cabbage family (known as brassica or kor crops).
Read more: Cabbage worms and cabbage loopers are not the only green caterpillar you have in your garden
Young Collado Greens, Kohlrabi, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bokchoy, mustard, radish and turnips are also susceptible to these pests, and if you have enough of them or are not noticed, you can wipe out the entire crop in a few days.
One of the most frustrating things about growing brassica is the fact that they are bug magnets in the early seasons where they are normally growing. Fortunately, these small pests are organically easy to control. And it starts by creating a barrier between the bug and the seedlings.
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Floating Row Cover
This is my favorite way to protect soft plants in the spring. Lightweight fabrics still provide sunlight and moisture, but are effective physical barriers against pests.
More specifically, cabbage butterflies and shed moss (adult forms of cabbage worms and cabbage loopers, respectively) prevent eggs from laying on the plants.
Related: How to manage aphid invasion
The covers of the floating rows should be placed as soon as you plant the seeds or seedlings. It should remain in place until the plant is mature enough to withstand pest damage (though it is a good idea to maintain cover throughout the season, as there is no need to pollinate the brassica).
They are not intended to protect frost, so do not confuse similar covers that provide some degree of warmth with light or “summer weight” floating row covers.
For more information, check out all the different types of row covers explained in Rayman terms
Most floating row covers are made of spun bonded poly fabric, allowing the removal of the smallest pests (including cabbage aphids that target abrass). However, some are made from mesh. If the only pest concern is caterpillar, the cover of the wider mesh opening (somewhere between the mosquito net and the bird net) will work.
As the name suggests, the cover of the floating row is “float” on the plants and placed on the leaves. Measuring the edges with bricks, rocks, 2×4 boards, or landscape pins. The plant will push the cover up as it grows (you may need to loosen the cover regularly).
Alternatively, place the floating row covers over a set of hoops (low tunnels) and secure them with clips or clamps. Use this method. This is because if you expect late frost, you can easily stack a midweight frost blanket over the cover of the floating row, or put a shade cloth in the summer to prevent bolting of the brassica.
Where to buy it
Floating Row Cover
Tulle or organza
A cheap alternative to floating row covers is tulle, or bridal veil net. The open mesh tends to be slightly larger, allowing you to see the seedlings more clearly and provide better airflow. It is also widely available in the gardens of fabric stores and craft stores (or bulk online), so you can buy as little (or few) as you need to fit the size of your garden bed.
Organza resembles tulle, only hard, plain woven fabrics (not net). It’s a little more durable, though not as soft as tulle (at least not so sleazy).
Where to buy it
Tulle and organza
Yeast or beer trap
If you secure the edge of the floating row cover well, it should be enough to ensure that the slugs are not raw underneath. If they still somehow contain, set a beer or yeast trap near the plant.
The guide to removing slugs covers these traps in more detail, but the basic gimmick is a plastic container with a lid (such as a tall deli container or yogurt container), with a large hole drilled on the sides about 3 inches from the bottom.
Place a very watery bread dough (made of flour, water, yeast) or cheap beer with a yeast scent in a container, cover with a lid and place the trap in the garden. Slugs are very attracted to yeast. They go through the hole, fall into a trap, and own before they escape.
Quick Tips
As other articles suggest, do not use tuna or shaved pan. Slugs are proficient at raw roaming on shallow sides, especially when cans or bread are partially filled or have rough edges that promote grip.
The yeast trap method works only if you place some traps near the brassus (below 3 feet). If you can’t DIY the traps together with such plastic containers, you can buy commercial beer traps like this.
