Why are there holes in my cabbage?

Don't worry, it happens to the best gardeners. The good news is, if you identify it early there is still time to save your crop. There is a good chance that this damage is caused by cabbage worms, cabbage loopers, or cabbage moths. Early detection is key because once these little green worms start taking over, they can completely destroy your cabbage.

One of the best ways to organically keep worms off your cabbage is to visually inspect your cabbage often and pick off any worms you see. If you have ever lost your cabbage or cruciferous veggies to these guys you start to look early.

Beneficial bugs like ladybugs, spiders, ground beetles, and praying mantis are excellent cabbage worm predators. After almost giving up on cabbage after a couple of years battling these pests, I read that companion planting helps attract beneficial bugs and deter cabbage worms. I tried that and even bordered my entire garden with marigolds, but I still didn't have much luck. I had read about natural pesticides and soap and water mixtures, but to me the thought of putting stuff like that on cabbage kind of grossed me out because unlike other vegetables, it isn't all that easy to just wash that stuff off before eating. All of those layers just combine together and didn't really seem practical.

So I took my companion planting a step further. Instead of just planting dill (which I read deters cabbage worms) near my cabbage, I also take some of the cuttings and sprinkle them all around the base of my early cabbage. I usually have too much dill anyway so it is better than just tossing it in the compost. I do the same thing with my marigolds. I still use them as a border which helps with the rabbits and other pests, but I also take some of the leaves and sprinkle them around the cabbage. This helps so much early on!! If you can get your cabbage at least halfway grown before getting holes, that is a big part of the battle. Combined with visual inspections and manual removal this has really saved my cabbage.

I know a lot of other posts give other solutions, but this is just what has worked for me. If all else fails and I really need to get a handle on pests, I will sprinkle diatomaceous earth (which is still organic) on the larger base leaves and ground. It rinses off very easily with the next rainfall or watering and I'm usually not eating those base leaves anyway.

Good luck with your cabbage!! Let me know if you have other tips or ideas that work. I love hearing from real life gardeners and not just Pinterest posts that people cut and paste from the same internet source. New knowledge and experience is hard to find these days!