3 Natural & Organic Cabbage Worm Home Remedies

Garden Pest Remedies: Cabbage Worms

This spring my husband and I planted a very large garden but soon after we noticed holes in the leaves of our Brussels Sprouts & Broccoli, so we turned to Google to find the culprit. Turns out, we had cabbage worms, yuk! 

Here are three signs that you might have cabbage worms:

• Holes in Plant Leaves (Especially the Cabbage Family)
• Beautiful White Butterflies In Your Garden
• Little Green Worms on Produce

If you notice any of the above signs in your garden, treat immediately. These little guys are ruthless and their mature parents, cabbage moths, can lay hundreds of eggs in a very small amount of time. While these pests prefer the cabbage family, I've noticed that if I only treat the cabbage family plants, they'll eat anything nearby that isn't treated, so it's best to treat the whole area. They even ate my hostas!

3 Natural/Organic Cabbage Worm Treatment Options

Organic All-Purpose Flour

Sprinkle All-Purpose Flour over all nearby plants, the cabbage worm caterpillars will eat it and eventually their stomachs will explode. You can also use corn-meal. Re-apply once a week.

Natural Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth

Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth over all nearby plants, you can also mix it 50/50 with the All-Purpose Flour for one smooth application. The Diatomaceous Earth will break down their exoskeletons and kill them. Just make sure you wear a mask because it could cause some respiratory irritation if inhaled. Re-apply once a week.

Organic Neem Oil

Cabbage worms & moths absolutely hate neem oil. You can find organic options online. You can either spray it directly on the plants or dilute it with 50% water. Re-apply as needed after it rains or once a week if you have an infestation.

Even though these options are all either Natural or Organic, I recommend that you still wash all produce thoroughly before consuming. You may want to also inspect produce for holes & green worms until you get the infestation under control.

Let me know in the comments if these treatment options helped you kick cabbage worms out of your garden!

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