Calling in the Cavalry

By Grammy Green

Okay, we give up.  The Cabbage moths have been relentless, and we refuse to give up any more buds to them.  Hand-picking of caterpillars and larvae has always been Grammy's preferred method of dealing with these pests, but you don't know you have a caterpillar destroying your buds until they turn brown.  

Grammy is resorting to using organic botanicals on her crop, and the two we can recommend are both OMRI listed for organic gardening.  These sprays can be used up until the day of harvest, although Grammy intends to stop spraying a week before harvest, and we will be hosing off the plants with plain water a couple of days before.

From the vendors:

AzaMax is a natural insecticide, miticide, and nematicide made from Neemazal® Technical (Purest Azadirachtin technical of highest concentration in the world). This is extracted from the neem seed kernel, through patented extraction technology. AzaMax® works systemically to provide greater bio-efficacy against a broad spectrum of Insect-Pests including foliar sucking and defoliating insect-pest complex, mites and soil-borne insect-pests & nematodes. AzaMax® formulation possesses important features such as UV stability and shelf stability of 2 years. AzaMax® is OMRI listed and licensed in all 50 states.

Monterey Garden Insect Spray contains Spinosad, a bacterial product produced by fermentation.  A biological insecticide, it controls worms and caterpillars on fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, and shade trees and is OMRI listed for organic gardening use. 

There you have it, Grammy's blessing to spray.