A backyard garden can quickly become frustrating when leafy greens become riddled with holes and overrun by pests.
Fortunately, a trained soil scientist and gardening expert took to YouTube to share several practical tips for identifying and stopping the insects that can wreak havoc on leafy vegetables before they have a chance to take over.
What's happening?
Ashley, who trained as a soil scientist at the University of Saskatchewan and runs the Gardening In Canada YouTube channel, explained in a recent clip that for gardeners who are struggling with holes in their cabbages, a common explanation is the cabbage worm.
Cabbage worms are a green caterpillar that are known to be hungry and thorough eaters. The pests can consume everything from cabbage to broccoli to kale, and Ashley explained that the best way to mitigate a cabbage worm infestation is to focus on spotting eggs early instead of waiting for ragged leaves to appear.
By the time leaf holes are easy to notice, cabbage worms are already feeding and are likely widespread.
Why does it matter?
Growing food at home can help save money on produce, especially for vegetables that can be expensive at the grocery store, but cabbage worms can quickly turn a healthy crop into a disappointing loss.
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Homegrown broccoli, kale, and cabbage often taste fresher than produce that has spent days in transit and on store shelves. Protecting those crops helps preserve the payoff from the time and effort gardeners invest.
Gardening can also support both mental and physical health. Time spent outside digging, watering, bending, and checking on plants adds gentle daily movement, while the routine of caring for a garden can help reduce stress. Losing crops to pests can discourage beginners.
Catching infestations early can also help people avoid using stronger pest controls than necessary, which is better for maintaining a balanced backyard ecosystem.
What can I do?
If you grow brassicas, check them often for eggs and other early warning signs rather than waiting for heavy chewing damage to appear.
The next step is to match the pest control response to the stage of the infestation. Ashley noted that BTK, a natural biological insecticide, works best when it is used at the early point in the cabbage worm life cycle. That kind of staged decision-making is central to integrated pest management.
Ashley also noted that hand-picking works for gardeners who catch an infestation early.
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