Brussels Sprouts Under Attack

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 8:42 am

My Brussel Sprouts are being eaten a LOT. The leaves are demolished. I think I'm at the tipping point with saving them. I've put cinnamon and clove down around the beds to ward off ants etc.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Post by **WLLady** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 9:40 am

Btk-its a harmless bacteria. Dilute in water and spray on the plants. Look for little green worms on the brassicas-brussel sprouts lettuce cabbage brocolli and cauliflower. Tis the season. Btk is organic and harmless to anything not a worm/caterpullar. Warning-it will kill butterfly caterpillars....you can buy it at most garden centers and greenhouses.

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 9:52 am

Thank you! I will head out thus afternoon and get some.

Jaye · Post by **Jaye** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 11:33 am

Or if it's slugs, you can sprinkle some DE and/or crushed eggshells around the base of the plants. Or you can spray your plants with a neem insect spray if it's beetles or something like that.
http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-oil-insecticide.html

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 8:35 pm

I have looked through the leaves front and back. A while back I pulled a green catipllier off of a leaf 1/2 eaten so I got in there pretty good today to have a look.
It's not just the centre of the leaves. I'll take a picture and post in the morning before I head out.

Post by **Killerbunny** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 7:40 am

I though for a while it was bugs eating the cabbages until I was out one evening and could hear loud ripping noises. Not sure I wanted to meet a caterpillar making that sort of noise, discovered a circle of chickens happily shredding up the leaves. They wouldn't eat red cabbage!

Post by **WLLady** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 10:15 am

precisely why chickens don't mix with my garden....they eat all those things, rip huge chunks out of the leaves...LOL

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Wed Jul 20, 2016 5:58 pm

I was unable to find BTK at the feed stores, garden centre or Canadian tire. So today, I was at the library and one of the ladies that works there is a horticulturist. I was talking to her about the leaves and showed her a picture. She asked if a white moth has been visiting. Yes!! Often. Daily. I have even seen a few around the leaves. I guess this white moth lays her lap eggs and the larvae eat the leaves etc. So she sent me to get 'Safers' insecticide soap. I'll be spraying at dusk. Hopefully that gets it sorted.

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Sun Jul 24, 2016 9:33 pm

I bought Safer's soap for aphids and spider mites on my indoor overwintered pepper plants. It didn't work even a little. Was hosing off a huge infestation every other day. In frustration I broke out the rotenone, did the trick and lasted all winter. Works on cabbage moth caterpillars too. Just something to consider. I don't even know if rotenone/ Sevin dust is still sold, I've had a shaker can of it for a very long time, and usually only use it for the occasional severe poultry mite infestation on broodies close to hatch time