‘November’
The vine leaves against the brick walls of my house,
Are rusty and broken.
Dead leaves gather under the pine trees,
The brittle boughs of lilac-bushes
Sweep against the stars …
Amy Lowell
Is something bothering your brassicas? Did I hear someone ask, “What the heck are brassicas?” Well, the brassica family is full of delicious vegetables. There are so many, in fact, that it is sometimes hard to keep track of all them. These are the most common. Cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kales, kohlrabi, collards, bok choy (pak choy), Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage), turnips and rutabagas. And almost all of these are great cool weather crops for our area. Last month was a great time to start them, but you can still get small plants at your local nursery. Hurry!
There are three main brassica pests that plague gardeners: flea beetles, aphids, and cabbage worms. While other pests certainly sample a cauliflower from time to time, these three are the primary offenders. Flea beetles are small beetles that hop around like fleas, giving them their name. Two varieties target the brassica family and both types infest the foliage of brassicas, eating the leaves and damaging the plant. Cabbage worms munch their way through brassica leaves and the heads of cole crops like cabbage. The damage from their feeding and their feces renders crops unmarketable, not to mention unpalatable for the kitchen gardener. There are three main types of cabbage worms that brassica gardeners need to worry about. Imported cabbage worms are slow moving, green and hairy caterpillars that eat away with a voracious appetite. Cabbage looper moth larvae are pale green with white lines on each side. They move in the looping motion that gives them their name and grow to 1-1/2 inches long. Diamondback moth caterpillars are much smaller than imported cabbage worms and cabbage loopers. These caterpillars only reach 1/3 of an inch in length and are light green in color with tapered ends.
Aphids are particularly fond of brassicas. The Cabbage Aphid is a greenish gray aphid that feeds primarily on members of the brassica family, especially cabbages. Aphids typically form dense colonies inside cabbage heads, making them difficult to reach with pesticide applications. Large infestations can stunt the plant’s growth and make them unsaleable.
The best way to deal with pests is prevention. Crop rotation prevents pests from overwintering on crops or in the soil. Crop rotation is less effective if you do not also manage weed populations. There are several weeds in the brassica family, including wild mustard. These weeds offer brassica pests a place to nest. Eliminating weeds from your garden will help reduce the chances of other plants hosting brassica pests. Young plants are especially vulnerable to certain pests. Give your plants a head start by transplanting well developed plants. Row covers can help prevent insects like flea beetles from establishing a hold on your brassica beds. Floating row cover works very well for brassicas and comes in lightweight grades ideal for warmer weather.
Brassicas have both bacterial and fungal pathogens. The most common are black rot, club root, blackleg, and fusarium wilt. Black rot is a bacterial pathogen that is usually the result of infected seeds. It can persist in the soil for many years. The bacteria forms yellow, v-shaped lesions on the leaves and ultimately destroys the crop. Club Root is a fungal disease that affects the Cruciferae family (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and Chinese cabbage). It is caused by the fungus Plasmodiophora brassicae, which is soilborne, and causes malformation of the roots of plants. Club root can take a while to show symptoms.
When young plants are affected, the plants become stunted and then die. Older plants fail to form heads or marketable growth, and when pulled from the soil the roots appear swollen and distorted. Blackleg strikes in warm, wet seasons. The fungus Phoma lingam causes pale gray lesions in seedlings, ultimately killing them and establishing itself in the seedbed, where it then affects older plants. Blackleg creates light brown, sunken lesions on stems which extend gradually upward until the plant wilts and dies. The roots are gradually destroyed as well, and light brown or grayish spots form on the leaves. Surviving heads might appear healthy when harvested, but develop black lesions in storage. This fungus can survive in the soil for three to five years between crops. Fusarium wilt, also known as yellows of cabbage, is a fungal disease that gradually turns the leaves of the plant yellow. It begins with the lower leaves and works its way up, eventually killing the plant.
Vegetable diseases typically don’t have cures. Prevention is the best approach for dealing with brassica diseases. Crop rotation and fertility are key to disease avoidance. Growing brassicas on the same ground only every third or fourth year may prevent contagion from contaminated soils, and healthy plants grown in fertile, well-drained soil are less susceptible to disease. This is a link to a great review article from Clemson experts on this topic.
The following article is a real Halloween treat and explains a lot about the code words used by witches and wizards to hide the real identity of their evil brews. Shakespeare got it. You should too.
National Seed Swap Day is the last weekend in January. This is a topic bit ahead of time, but perhaps some of you would like to plan an event around this idea. Increasing interest in gardening and growing heirloom varieties is a great way to spread the wealth. Some seed swaps feature classes on growing, seed cleaning and preparation, or other garden-related themes. Some have potlucks, so that local gardeners can meet and greet and discuss their interest in gardening. Some include sharing cuttings or rootstock of outdoor and house plants. There are no rules involved, just a mid-winter fix for gardeners when the weather is nasty and the ground far too cold to plant anything. I checked our local area media and I don’t see any events already planned, so the field is wide open for everyone who would like to give it a try. If you plan one let us know. I’d love to attend. This article is a great in-depth review of the entire process. It is aimed at farmers and gardeners in northern Florida but applies to those of us in the Augusta area as well.
Until next month; Happy Thanksgiving to all.
“Thanksgiving Time”
When the night winds whistle through the trees and blow the crisp brown leaves a-crackling down,
When the autumn moon is big and yellow-orange and round,
When old Jack Frost is sparkling on the ground,
It’s Thanksgiving Time!
When the pantry jars are full of mincemeat and the shelves are laden with sweet spices for a cake,
When the butcher man sends up a turkey nice and fat to bake,
When the stores are crammed with everything ingenious cooks can make,
It’s Thanksgiving Time!
When the gales of coming winter outside your window howl,
When the air is sharp and cheery so it drives away your scowl,
When one’s appetite craves turkey and will have no other fowl,
It’s Thanksgiving Time!
– Langston Hughes
