Nothing is more disappointing to gardener growing cabbage than going out to harvest the cabbage heads only to find that the heads are stunted and riddled with holes and tunnels. At best, this damage simply looks unappetizing and at worst, this damage can cause early rot in the heads which will make them inedible. Either way, most gardeners would prefer not to have this kind of damage at all.
Chances are, if you have this kind of damage on your cabbage, you are having an issue with one of three kinds of garden pests. These pests are the cabbage maggot, the cabbage worm and the cabbage moth. As their names all indicate, they target and damage cabbage and other cole crops.
Cabbage Maggot
A cabbage maggot is the larval stage of a fly. When it is in the larval stage, the cabbage maggot looks like a small white caterpillar. Because the eggs of a cabbage maggot hatch at the base of the plant, it tends to feed on the roots of the cabbage. This causes the heads of the cabbage to become stunted or to die.
To prevent cabbage maggot damage, sprinkle the ground around your cabbages with ashes or diatomaceous earth. Make sure spread the ashes or diatomaceous earth all the way to the base of the plant, adding extra to the susceptible area under the plant.
Cabbageworm and Cabbage Moth
The other cabbage damage culprit is the cabbageworm, which eventually metamorphoses into the cabbage moth. The cabbageworm is the stage in which this insect is damaging. Cabbageworms will bore through the heads of the cabbage leaving brown trails and holes. It will also leave droppings on the cabbage.
You will also want to keep an eye out for the cabbage moth. The cabbage moth does not damage the cabbage head itself, but it will lay eggs on the cabbage, which will eventually grow into cabbageworms. A cabbage moth is whit with black tips wings and black spots on its wings.
To help keep the cabbageworm and the cabbage moth off your cabbages, it is best to coat the outside of the cabbage in some undesirable substance. Commonly, gardeners will spritz the cabbage head and sprinkle ashes or diatomaceous earth on the damp plant. Another option is to pour garlic infused water, salt water or sour milk over the cabbage. The treatments will need to be reapplied after rain and would need to be washed off before eating the cabbage.
Both of these cabbage pests can be treated with pesticide, but as always, pesticides cannot tell the difference between good bugs and bad ones. Plus, as the cabbage is being grown for humans to eat, the use of pesticide is generally not recommended.
