Re: [gardeners]Cabbage Loopers [was: Seeds]
Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Fri, 16 Jan 1998 09:50:02 -0700
>>>
>>I received the March edition of Kitchen Garden magazine yesterday, and a
>>photo of 'Lacinato' Kale (which I hadn't heard of before) shows a vial
>>upside down on a stick, balanced over the kale. Caption says the "cotton
>>ball in the vial is soaked with camphor oil to repel cabbage looper moths."
>> The stick must be anchored in the ground at an angle, so the other end is
>>slightly angled, but centered over the plant. Hmmm. I wonder if it even
>>protects the outer leaves. Camphor is strong-smelling stuff. My Dad used
>>to lard his hands with Camphor Ice just before he sat down at the table for
>>dinner. Everything tasted like camphor ice, which may have been a
>>blessing, considering some of my Mom's cooking...Margaret
>>
>
>A commercial organic grower of my aquaintance has experimented with all
>sorts of repellants for brassica pests. According to him, unless there is
>some sort of a trap crop available, then scents simply won't be strong
>enough to keep the moths away. He says the only surefire way to keep the
>pests out of the brassicas is row covers. He special orders a 400 count
>muslin to use for row covers because the spun ones contain plastic! (And I
>thought I was pure...)
>
>Marianne
>Southeastern Ontario AgCan zone 5b
>
YOU are pure, Marianne, it's your rows that are not pristine. ;-)))
Margaret