Hey, Aunt Kathy!

I also considered titling this post "Impeccable Timing."

Last week I discovered some insect damage to my Brussels sprouts. I spent the weekend taking pictures fully intent on a blog post about it. Then my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Dave stopped in for a visit. She really wanted to see my garden because she's getting back into it now that she's retired and getting over some serious health issues. And her questions about organic solutions to insect damage were exactly what I was going to cover in the post.

So, Aunt Kathy, this blog post is for you.

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Two weeks ago we had some pea size hail come through with a storm front. The next day I noticed damage to the Brussels sprouts. Now, keep in mind these poor plants have had a really rough winter, so it seemed appropriate they were getting beat up again. But upon further examination, and comparing what I saw on them compared to elsewhere in the garden, I discovered it wasn't hail damage at all. Hail hit the entire garden, but the damage I saw on my fall planting Brussels sprouts didn't match what I saw on the transplants I put in a few weeks ago.

Holey Brussels Sprouts

Not Holey Brussels Sprouts

And then upon closer inspection, I found the culprits.

Cabbage worms!

More cabbage worms!

Cabbage worms! And come to think of it, I believe I saw the butterfly (adult) form of these guys the same day I was planting the spring transplants. That may explain why I don't see damage (yet) on the other plants.

So now I'm in control mode. If you are not squeamish there is one sure-fire way to get rid of these guys - hand removal. Conveniently I have some willing accomplices for this task.

The willing accomplices. They work fast.

When you have worms this big there are some limitations on what you can use for chemical control. I turn to my trusty garden dust for something like this. It kills them quickly, and that's important to me given how fast the cabbage worms can devour a plant at this stage of development.

Personally I like the dust because I can see where it lands, but the same chemical is available in spray form too. The active ingredient is carbaryl, which is what is found in most "garden pest" products you can find in any garden or home store.

Now that I know the butterflies are active I'll be switching into prevention mode too. For that I like to use a different product type.

This uses Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria, something naturally occurring in the soil but at higher concentrations it kills many worms and caterpillars that attack garden and farm crops. It is labeled for use in organic gardening (Aunt Kathy, this is what you asked about). Those of you who follow this blog know I'm all for the right tool for the right job, so why I like it is because it is very effective when the cabbage worms are very, very small. But when the worms get to be the size of the ones I found it doesn't work as well. It's also a spray, which means I can get it to stick in places that I can't get the garden dust, which also happen to be the places the caterpillars hatch and get their start. I used to be able to find Bt products at my local big-box store but now I'm having to buy it from my favorite online gardening retailer.

Any pesticide, whether it is a chemical dust or a bacterial spray, does have safe handling instructions and limits on when you can harvest the vegetables. Always read the label before use. Regardless, you should always wash vegetables thoroughly if they have been treated with any product for pest control.

I've looked into using barrier fabrics for the garden, but given the way my cats and chickens like to destroy things I don't know if it will work for my situation. I did buy a few at an end-of-season sale last year and I'm going to try it on my squash plants because chemical control doesn't work as well for those pests.

As for the chickens, they are not as discerning in terms of eating the worms and leaving the plants alone. It will be a while before this broccoli plant recovers.

A Lesson in Genetics

Here's a fine example of Brassica oleracea:

Broccoli

And another:

Cauliflower

And another:

Kohlrabi

And another:

Brussels sprouts

And another:

Kale - in desperate need of fertilizer

Wait, these are all the same species?

Yes, yes they are. Over the centuries of domestication people selectively bred and developed this species into several distinct cultivar groups, each valued for a particular trait or part of the plant. Kale and collards are prized for their leaves, broccoli and cauliflower for their heads of pre-flower buds, and kohlrabi for its specialized stem.

Which may explain why this popped up in the kohlrabi patch:

The leaves look more like cabbage, but the stem looks like a cross between kohlrabi and broccoli.

Kohlrabi on the right and left, mystery plant in the middle

Even after generations of breeding, every now and then the DNA spontaneously mutates and a plant with different qualities grows.

Plant breeders would use this to their advantage, trying to develop a new cultivar or variety through self-pollination or cross breeding. If they had the right laboratory equipment available a geneticist may try to to sequence the DNA and identify the specific gene mutation.

As for me, it's proof I have no business saving seeds from my plants to propagate the next year's crop. Who knows what may pop up if the bees and bugs transfer pollen from one cultivar to another. I'm perfectly content buying my seeds from the fine folks at Gurneys, Burpees, or Park Seed.

Christmas Diversion

I've been a little busy, but in the kitchen rather than the garden.

But since this is a gardening blog, here's the one thing I've accomplished in the garden this week.

First broccoli and cauliflower of the season!

All of this will be represented on the table at Christmas Eve dinner this year. Yum!

Broccoli and Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts, Oh My!

They're getting close! Well, at least the broccoli and cauliflower are. The Brussels sprouts are just pea-sized buds at this stage.

Almost ready to pick! Waiting for the center florets to develop a little bit more.

Cauliflower crept up on me. They should have been tied up a week ago. In order to keep the heads creamy-white, you need to cover them with the nearby leaves and loosely tie them shut with twine to shade them from the sun.

The Brussels sprouts are not making much progress, but they are healthier than the attempt from this spring.

Better start researching recipes!

Mid-Fall Update

What does a fall garden in Alabama look like?

Clockwise, from lower left: Spaghetti squash vines, kohlrabi, beets, volunteer Yukon Gold potatoes

Foreground: Dakota Pearl potatoes; Background: parsnips and carrots

Marigolds, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli

Sugar peas

Garlic! (shallots in there too, but not up yet)