This time of year is prime season for cole crops! For many varieties we recommend harvesting after the first hard frost, which tends to affect the taste and texture of leafy greens for the better. However, a very common and malicious pest also travels to your crop beds to munch on the tender shoots before we even have a chance to enjoy them in our own tummies! Even one lonely caterpillar can wreak havoc upon an entire garden, favoring cabbage, kale and collard greens much to the dismay of our green thumbs.
Thankfully the solution to this issue is simple to find and easy to use in the bacterial disease that quickly and effectively turns those wormie bugs into instant fertilizer. As a naturally occurring chemical in soil around the world, Bacillus thurigiensis is safe to spray on any vegetable crops and can be rinsed off of your future side orders with a heavy scrub from the kitchen faucet. This compound can be found in Safer Brand Caterpillar Killer available in an 8 ounce concentrate that should be mixed by the teaspoon into your gallon size sprayer. Caterpillars stop feeding shortly after eating foliage sprayed with Caterpillar Killer and die within a few days. Caterpillar Killer does not harm honey bees or beneficial anthropods and does not harm earthworms. It is the safest and most effective treatment, but be sure to apply at the first signs of damage as these creepy crawlies can quickly decimate your cole crops!
Written by Ginny Gregory.
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