What is eating my Broccoli/Cauliflower? (pic)

trfanatic

16 years ago

Hello all, I hope this pic works. It looks like a green caterpillar. Can anyone advise re: what to spray?

thanks alot,

Ravi

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:95624}}

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Comments (4)

gardencafe
16 years ago
That looks like my broccoli. I turned over my leaves and found a green worm and just squashed them all LOL
There was at least 1 on every leaf but now a few weeks later I only have one here and there. Not sure their exact name though.
jbann23
16 years ago
If you can see the green caterpillar then most likely it's the cabbage looper. Sometimes called an inchworm. I just flick them off into a coffee can with some detergent and water. You can use BT which kills them by being systemic. That means it is actually inside the plant and the plant is now deadly to the worm. I've never used it since it MUST have some effect on the rest of the world. I'm probably being a bit paranoid there. Try the detergent first. The damage to your plant, going by the picture, isn't severe as yet. By the way, those cute little white butterflies we see all summer are the culprit. Some people spray a little cheap vanilla extract on the plants and it seems to confuse the butterfly (moth). They go everywhere and apparently recognize your brassicas by aroma. Makes sense. Then they lay their eggs and along comes the hungry caterpillar. Hope all this helps somewhat. Best wishes with your plants.
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I had green caterpillars eating holes in the leaves of my broccoli and brussell sprouts. Since they are all the same species, perhaps that is what you have? They blended in really well and were tough to spot when they were small, but became more obvious as they grew. I usually found them on the inner leaves. I just picked them off manually and have seen no new caterpillars or leaf damage for weeks.
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Thanks, everyone! vrkelley, I've got Romanesco and Waltham broccoli and Violetta Italia and Snowball Self-Blanching cauliflower. I started the seeds on 3/20, so that's been...74 days already? Give or take. Different sites do seem to give different ranges--some say 75 days for one type, but then others say 65-99 days. Hmph! I need someone with a crystal ball! It has actually been quite chilly here, so I don't think temps have been a problem yet, but they will get to be a problem soon! If the maturity dates are from transplant to eat, then yes, I do have more time. Most sites I've seen have said something like, "Start indoors 8 weeks before last frost; transplant outdoors 4-5 weeks before last frost." Our last frost date is typically around 5/15, and I put them out on 4/20, so yes, a tiny bit late. I'm partly anxious because this is my first gardening attempt and I'm dying to eat my produce, and I'm also thinking that if they're not going to produce, I could pull them and plant something that might. Then again, part of the appeal of gardening is that plants care naught for the hectic pace of our busy lives, right? :-) Thank you for your help!
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Yup, I agree with nc-crn, it sure looks like white cabbage butterfly caterpillar damage. Those little green caterpillars really do blend in. If you can't find/smush them all, lol, you can spray the plants with a bacterial slurry (no chemicals) called Bt (Bacillus thurengiensis) which is a type of bacteria that kills only caterpillars. One of several brand names is Thuricide which you can find at most home improvement super stores and good nurseries. Keep us posted. Other than the slight foliage damage, that's a fine looking cauliflower plant! Happy gardening!
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I'm going through this right now myself. Those little worms are crazy hard to spot, they blend in so well. Picked off about 7 yesterday and today - some were so small I was staring at them for minutes before realizing it was a worm and not part of the plant. They are sneaky little buggers. I'm using BT now and hope it helps. First time this year I've had this issue.
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aka_peggy
16 years ago
Jbann23,

Bt is harmless to all insects, animals, and humans except caterpillars. It is accepted for organic use and it's safe for the environment. Bt is sprayed or dusted on the leaves of plants that are under attack. The pests ingest the bacteria as they eat the leaves. The Bt causes paralysis of the cat's digestive tract, causing it to stop feeding.
gardencafe
16 years ago
Holy Mackarel! I hadn't realized those darn white butterflies were the culprit, about a month ago they were out in droves in my garden!

The kids thought they were cute and grabbed their net and bug cage and I stupidly made them release them after only a few minutes! Had I only known:( Next time I will let them catch all they want and keep them in the bug cage.
Thanks for the heads up on that:)

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What is eating my Broccoli/Cauliflower? (pic)

Comments (4)

gardencafe

jbann23

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aka_peggy

gardencafe

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