Organic caterpillar control

[BarryCambs]

My poor cabbages are being eaten alive by caterpillars and my mate July (who's Filipino) told me to soak some tobacco in warm water and spray them with this. Apparently this is what's done back home.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I got bought some Old Holburn, but unfortunately went to the pub on the way home and smoked it! Having not ventured out for a while due to a new baby, I also managed to get incredibly drunk and suffice to say, I got a bit of a frosty reception on my eventual return. The end result was aching lungs, pounding head, intermittent nausea and cabbages still covered in caterpillars.

Anyway, my question is, has anyone heard of spraying with tobacco juice before and does it work? Sounds like a great idea if it does.

[Lesley Jay]

I've never heard of it but a quick Google proves that tobacco tea does exist.

A word of warning though. If you try this tobacco tea keep it well away from your tomato plants as they can get the disease Tobacco Mosaic Virus which they can get just from the fingers of someone who smokes.

Are the caterpillars the big ones with stripes or the small green ones?

[BarryCambs]

I'll give it a go and keep you posted!

They are small caterpillars. I mistook the damage as slug or bird to begin with and failed to spot them before they really tucked in.

[Lesley Jay]

Good luck!!

If they have got to the heart of the cabbages they might be difficult to get rid of. The first year I grew cauliflowers the little green devils were inside the cauliflower curds and even soaking the cauliflower head in salted water for hours still didn't kill them!

[cajary]

This actually works but is considered old-fasioned. Put fag-ends in a pail of water. Leave it for a week, strain it and then use it as a spray. I've used this system for a long time, not 'cause it's organic, just that it's so effective. You won't have any trouble with the "slime" brigade, either. See, us smokers have our uses

[BarryCambs]

Well the "tobacco tea" certainly seemed to have some success. It's got rid of the smaller ones, but the big ones seemed more resistant. Lesson learned - I need to spray as soon as I see them next time! Hopefully the brussels will recover enough to crop.

Now I read Cajary's post again, I see I should have soaked for a week. I'm also thinking that if you are using fag ends, the tar is probably more concentrated! As I'm supposed to be a "non smoker", it's going to be difficult to justify actually smoking again to get the required ends.

[cajary]

Hi ,Barry.
Well, I'm a smoker (sorry to the PC brigade) so I don't get a problem. Wherever you work, us pariahs will gather ouside for a fag. Put a plastic bucket with water in it, outside and ask us pariahs to put their butts in it. If you tell them what it's for, they'll do it with a smile on their face: All the best