Tuscan Kale is being enjoyed, but not by us

[itryalot]

Had 6 plants that were growing very well, until yesterday. I went outside to find that all that was left on most of them was the veins of the leaves.

Any guess on what this is?

[gardenercook]

For what it's worth, seeing that I'm in South Africa, I caught a hungry bird nibbling at my Tuscan kale yesterday. They ravaged the previoud row, and ignored 'Russian Red'!

[Beckyleach]

This stuff is the DEVIL to grow. Everything that walks, crawls, leaps or flies knows how deliciious it is... For three years, now, mine has been ravaged by cabbage worms (the offspring of those oh-so-innocent looking white butterflies) and, later, grasshoppers. I'm using BT with some success, on the worms/looper (but I have to spray it every 2 weeks) but the grasshoppers haven't arrived, yet. I'm an organic gardener so I might just have to wage hand-to-hand combat with the hoppers.

[itryalot]

Second response referring to BT - what is that? I went out this morning looking and chopping all damaged leaf remnants off the plants. Where do they reside; I looked on top of and underneath the leaves and saw nothing. How small are they? I won't use chemicals either; anyone have another remedy?

[morwen]

"Bacillus thuringiensis is a biological control and is found normally in the intestines of humans and can be used without concern."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus...

[itryalot]

So, this is a natural treatment? Where can it be bought? Home Depot? Lowe's?

[morwen]

It's a "natural" treatment meaning it's approved for organic use. You can check Lowe's or Home Depot but we have trouble finding organic remedies there. Monsanto products seem to have a big hold on their gardening departments. We got ours either from our local nursery or Southern States, I can't remember which. Agway might carry it if you have those in your area. I'm sure you can order it online. We also use neem oil and insecticidal soap from time to time for infestations and those can be found in the same places. If it's slugs eating at your kale, get some Sluggo. It's OMRI approved, readily available, and worked like a champ for us this year.

[harrie]

We get BT - it's a liquid in a plastic bottle, if that's any help - at our Agway and also at a local garden/lawn place. If you have an independent (versus a chain) nursery or garden place nearby, that might be a good place to start. Second the Sluggo, too - that's good stuff.

[grammywheels]

I might consider cabbage loopers..kale is of the same family and is also favored by them. the cabbage looper larvae do the damage and can eat large holes and even skeletonize the plant. They are a light green caterpillar about 1- 1 1/2 inches long with a white stripe down their sides. Bacillus thuringiensis is a biological control and is found normally in the intestines of humans and can be used without concern. At this point I would trim back the stems to any remaining foliage and there is a good chance you will get regrowth. Spray with Bt regularly and you could have a nice crop by late summer.

[itryalot]

I will have to look closely.

[Eldon Kreider]

Cabbage loopers do not work fast enough to skeletonize plants in a day or two unless there were so many of them that the plants would be crawling with caterpillars. If there were just a bunch of holes appearing over several days, cabbage loopers or some other caterpillars would be prime suspects.

[harrie]

I'd really be tempted to say Japanese beetles; but if the damage happened seemingly overnight, there would have to have been a real swarm of them. In my neighborhood, I'd guess it was the work of a groundhog or rabbits. Possibly deer, but I don't think they'd be so dainty as to leave the veins.

[itryalot]

Could be a rabbit in my area.