Cabbageworm and other pests: how to control them?

From spring to autumn, the vegetable garden is a land rich in crops. Unfortunately, all those tempting plants tend to attract greedy pests. Cabbage growing is no exception to the rule, and it can suffer many misfortunes throughout its growth. How can you protect your future crop from invaders? Let's find out in this article!

What are the pests of cabbages?

Slugs

Slugs are well known to vegetable gardeners. These small, shell-less gastropods exist in around forty species in our country. Their size varies from one to fifteen centimetres for the largest of them. Whatever their colour, slugs prefer to be active at night or when the temperature is above 5°C on rainy days. They mainly attack young cabbage plants, whether cauliflower, broccoli or white cabbage.

Shrubs

These are false caterpillars with legs but which will never become butterflies as they are in fact members of the wasp family. It is in fact the larvae that cause the most damage to cabbage crops. They can be present in the vegetable garden from May to autumn. The larvae attack new shoots, cutting into the leaves of cabbage plants, sometimes leaving only the veins.

The cabbage whitefly

This is certainly the most common caterpillar in the vegetable garden. Light green to yellow, sometimes spotted with black, it is the larva of the Pieris brassicae butterfly, which appears in the garden over several generations from April to October. The leaves of cabbage plants are pierced and black excrement accumulates on affected cabbages. If by misfortune the whitefly intervenes in number, all the leaves of the plant can be devoured.

Flea beetles

Cabbage flea beetles are small, shiny, brown beetles that jump when approached. They are present in the vegetable garden between May and June when the weather is dry. At this time, they tend to riddle the leaves of plants with small holes and can also attack the stems, causing serious damage. Seedlings are particularly susceptible to flea beetles as they can be completely destroyed by them.

The cabbage maggot

This is another larva that attacks cabbage plants. This pest is characterised by slowed plant growth and wilting leaves. The larvae appear in early spring and can be rampant until late summer, burrowing into cabbage plants from the crown down to the roots.

The cabbage cutworm

The cabbage cutworm is a caterpillar resembling a cutworm. It is particularly difficult to distinguish. The moth feeds on large cabbage leaves. It will leave behind only holes or even veins and excrement.

Aphids

Aphids are probably one of the most prevalent insects in the vegetable garden, much to the annoyance of gardeners. And unfortunately, it's when they're present in large numbers that we start to discover the damage. In cabbages, an aphid attack can be distinguished by leaves that become discoloured and curled.

• See also : Black soap against flea beetles and aphids: how to use it
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Natural solutions to get rid of them

Thankfully, there are several solutions for getting rid of pests. First and foremost, it is essential to encourage biodiversity in the vegetable garden, to obviously avoid chemical treatments since we are in a permaculture approach.

• To combat slugs, go with hens if you have them. Otherwise, prefer morning watering and install barriers of eggshells or pine needles that they won't be able to get through.
• Against sawflies, the only solution will be to collect the larvae by hand to prevent them from multiplying.
• Against the whitefly, you can install a net over your plants to prevent the butterflies from landing on them. Alternatively, use natural repellents such as sage, tomato gourmands or lemon balm.
• Against flea beetles, keep the soil moist, they hate it! Water regularly and mulch your soil.
• Against cabbage maggot, you'll need to sprinkle the foliage. You can also surround the base of your plants with a collar of cardboard or plastic. Alternatively, use natural mulch repellents such as tansy or wormwood.
• To combat cabbageworm, the use of a veil is very useful. It will need to be put up in the spring. You can also spray with pyrethrum decoction or wormwood.
• Against the ash aphid, the ideal solution is to attract beneficial organisms using melliferous flowers. Alternatively, prepare a nettle purin, fern decoction or black soap solution to spray on your plants.