(June) I have just
harvested my first cabbage and it is pretty wormy. I refrained from applying any
insecticide to it while it was growing because it seems to me the poison just
gets worked into and imbedded in the leaves and because we prefer not to use
poisons if they can be avoided.
Is there an alternative to Sevin dust? Is my assumption that the poison will get imbedded in all those convolutions correct or does the cabbage grow from the inside out in such a manner that that is not an issue?
If you apply pesticides at the recommended levels and follow label directions, you should be fine in using them. If you prefer to go organic, for cabbage worms, there is an organic insecticide called Bacillus thuringiensis. It is sold under the trade names of Dipel, Thuricide and BT. This is totally safe, and only hurts caterpillars -- no beneficials or others.