Help Holes in my cabbage leaves

[oldchickenman]

I have something eating holes in my cabbage leaves and some other plants i dont see any bugs or worms they ate one leaf full of holes will 7 dust work. we just had 2 ,ornings of frost i tought it might kell what ever was eating them but it didnt.

 

[lesa]

Try laying a piece of wood or cardboard in the garden dirt, near the cabbages. In the morning turn it over and see what is clinging to the other side... my guess, slugs, snails, etc. Good luck!

 

[wifezilla]

I surrounded my plants with crushed oyster shells. I have to have it on hand for the ducks anyway. Before I did that my bok choy was slowly disappearing.

 

[oldchickenman]

My wife said she read soemwhere to put coffie grounds and eggs sheals around the plants. i think i might try that and 7 dust.

 

[curly_kate]

If its slugs, the eggshells should work. At least, that's what I've heard, too. Haven't tried it myself. I like beer baits for slugs.

 

[hoodat]

Most likely is cabbage worms. They are hard to spot. Sometimes you can look right at them and not see them. Thuricide is the answer to them. Completely natural and does no harm to anything but catterpillars. Second most likely is snails and/or slugs. Put out a pie tin of stale beer. If they are present you will see them there in the morning. A third possibility is cutworms but not unless your cabbages are still quite small.

 

[oldchickenman]

A third possibility is cutworms but not unless your cabbages are still quite small what would you call smal they not big yet anyways i thought cutworms would cut them off at the ground.

 

[vfem]

I agree with them either being slugs or cabbage moths. My cabbage and broccoli were turned to swiss cheese by those buggers.

Onions and garlic help keep away the moths to ward off them even laying eggs in the first place if you companion plant.

I would do the oyster shell and maybe some DE around the plants.

 

[wifezilla]

DE alone is only slightly helpful but DE plus oyster shells is working for me.

 

[hoodat]

A third possibility is cutworms but not unless your cabbages are still quite small what would you call smal they not big yet anyways i thought cutworms would cut them off at the ground.

Cutting the stems at the ground is the commonest form of cutworm damage but they sometimes climb a bit and get into the leaves. When I said small I was thinking less that three sets of true leaves.