Plant This

Re: EDITOR 1 Sept 2010 - 1:04:00 PM

A product like Dipel with the natural bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis kills caterpillars and – although there's a backlash because of Bt's adoption by the GM industry – are considered organic. There's an arguable case for occasional spot spraying for personal purposes.

Vigilance and a hands-on approach is a good eco approach though time-consuming and no guarantee against hungry hordes. Hand-watering will keep you in touch and up close with the plants. Investigate any sign of damage and destroy any eggs or larvae. Drown them in soapy water or there's anecdotal evidence that leaving them there crushed will deter other raiders.

There's the prevention is better than cure strategy. My father rushes out whenever he spies a moth out the back window hovering over his crop and claps it between his hands or thongs to stop it from laying its eggs in the first place.

If your winters are relatively warm, you might be able to grow the kale then with less insect competition. Although the warmer it is for the crop, the cosier it is for the bugs too.