My cabbages are being devoured… but by what?

“Do you know how to plant cabbages, fashionable, fashionable…”. Who doesn't know this children's nursery rhyme? However, planting these vegetables that we particularly like in soups or stuffings is not as simple as that. White cabbage, cabbage, romanesco cabbage, green cabbage… If you choose to plant it in your vegetable garden, you won’t run the risk of lacking variety. But like many garden vegetables, cabbages are victims of their good taste. Ravaged leaves, destroyed cabbages... Who are responsible? We take stock of the greedy people who are ravaging your plantations.

Caterpillars

Well known for the damage they cause, caterpillars are a gardener's worst fear. There are a multitude of species that attack your vegetables: the white worm, the moth, the moth, etc. In the case of a small infestation, you will only find small holes on your leaves, but if the population of caterpillars is large then the leaves will be eaten away almost completely. We can also easily recognize their damage, because they leave a pile of excrement which can make the cabbage unfit for consumption. To get rid of it, there are very simple methods. You can practice crop rotation, manually destroy caterpillars and eggs or even spray black soap added to water on the foliage of your cabbages. You can also choose to combine your tomatoes with your cabbages, these act as a real repellent for caterpillars.

Flea beetles

The flea beetle is a beetle that likes cabbages, but also rapeseed. It is quite difficult to spot because of its small size, but if you see one, be aware that it has a shiny black shell. Nothing could be easier to recognize a flea beetle infestation. This makes small holes on all the young leaves of your cabbages. To avoid being invaded, you can place an anti-insect veil on your cabbages. This will prevent them from attacking your plants. How to get rid of it? This is an insect that is very sensitive to strong odors. So, you can plant mint plants near your cabbages or prepare decoctions based on garlic, nettle manure or even black elderberry. This beetle does not like humidity, so remember to mulch your plants and water regularly.

Birds

Yes, in the vegetable garden, insects are not the only ones to ravage crops. Pigeons are fond of young cabbage shoots, but not only that. They dig up the seeds you sowed with love. So to prevent birds from attacking your crops, you don't have many options. You can put scarecrows or windmills that will scare away the pigeons. They don't like strong odors either, so don't hesitate to spray spice or vinegar-based mixtures.

To your crops!