It’s only September 1 but the white cabbage moths are everywhere in my vegetable and flower gardens. Though the moths are quite lovely as they dart about they are part of the cycle that causes significant damage to the brassica crops.

That damage can start early with seedlings and transplants.

My white, purple and Romanesco cauliflower seedlings are doing well and it’s time to select the best ones. They’re on my patio now, receiving bright shade and about four hours of sun (when it shines).

I am quite sure the cabbage moths would find them without this garden hack. To exclude the white moths, I’ve covered the trays with a large metal basket I found in the garage. I’m quite sure some deft cabbage moths would slip through the basket so I layered lightweight row cover over the basket, tucking the fabric under the edges.

This arrangement also protects the young seedlings from strong sun.

Here’s another cabbage moth intervention for a small square of arugula near the tomato plants. The cabbage moths found the tender greens and tiny worms made holes in some of the leaves.

I sprayed with BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), then covered the patch with garden trays. The top one is turned at an angle to make entry of the moths more difficult. Still plenty of light enters.

BTW, my typical interventions for cabbage worms are BT, hand picking and row covers. For more detailed information I highly recommend this short podcast from Epic Gardening How to Get Rid of Cabbage Worms Organically.

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