That’s how long it felt. One breath in, one out, and one in again. That was all that was needed to lose, heal, and regain my broccoli and kale plants. Mother Nature is a speedy young thing.
I raised my Italian varieties of kale and broccoli from seed, planted them, and tended them. They grew strong and sturdy. And then overnight it seemed (it was probably more like three days), they were gone. Decimated skeletons, whispers of their former robust selves, brought down by the larvae of the delicate cabbage butterflies I so enjoy watching. The fluttering white wings, with their coy black spot, delightful to watch, but with a deadly darker side.
These lovely ladies are on a mission to preserve their species, and so they lay their eggs on the underside of my babies, to hatch their voracious larvae.
Here is what I found that dreadful morning:
This used to be kale.
And this used to be broccoli.
And so I did some research for an organic solution. “Gardens Alive” is a reliable resource for me. So I read their catalog descriptions of products for my problem, and then searched for the needed ingredient. It seemed to be spinosad, and was described in Wikipedia as follows:
“Spinosad (spinosyn A and spinosyn D) are a new chemical class of insecticides that are registered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to control a variety of insects. The active ingredient is derived from a naturally occurring soil dwelling bacterium called Saccharopolyspora spinosa, a rare actinomycete reportedly collected from soil in an abandoned rum distillery on a Caribbean Island in 1982 by a scientist on vacation.[1] It has not been found in nature since that time, and was subsequently described as a new species.”
Have I unleashed a biological nightmare? Or simply used a gift from Mother Nature…a rare bacterium from the Caribbean, islands of rum and gentle breezes?
I found spinosad in this product:
It seemed appropriate that a bacterium originating in the islands would be bottled beneath the name "Captain Jack." Yo ho!
First, I removed the beyond-all-hope leaves, and was left with this:
Stripped kale.
And stripped broccoli.
I mixed the liquid in my watering can and poured it over the plants. It seemed to take immediate and positive effect. Just wishful thinking? Perhaps. But within two hours of application, I SWEAR my plants looked better.
They were standing up straighter. And in 10 days, I harvested my first broccoli of the season. Husband still will not touch the kale, resurrection notwithstanding, but I will.
Thank you, Captain Jack, for my brassicaea. It was a mighty close call.
WORDS FROM OTHERS
“Spinosad is relatively fast acting. The insect dies within one to two days after ingesting the active ingredient. There appears to be 100% mortality.”
Amy in the Garden 
And NEXT YEAR—you’re going to get some of that Agribon and cover those babes BEFORE this happens. Right???????
😀
If Agribon is a floating row cover, then yes, YOU BET!!! I am properly chagrined, and wiser.
Hi, Amy. So glad to “see” you here again! My bottom lip got big as I read of your disaster. So interesting how some of nature’s smallest critters can do such tremendous damage; and also how mighty those roots are to overcome the destruction with a little help.
Hi — very nice to hear from you again, and apologies for the long gap between posts. It is my busy season at the office, which unfortunately coincides with busy season in the garden. I haven’t canned any tomatoes at all this year, and may not — a crushing prospect.
I loved your phrase “mighty roots” and agree completely!