I had the ornamental cabbages last fall and after just several days they were totally gone except for the stem. I saw no bugs or anything - what do you recommend? The plant was on my front porch in a chair type planter and the other in a planter on my deck (which you can't get to without climbing steps)! We also live in a subdivision. Modified on 2009-04-23
Did you check for bugs during the daytime? If so, you would not have been able to find your culprits. Look for them at night.
The most common enemy of cabbages are the cabbage loopers. They can defoliate plants in a few days. If they ate your plant, try using Dipel and Thuricide next planting. They are considered environmentally friendly, and have insignificant or no effect on humans, wildlife, pollinators, and other beneficial insects. Our daughter in law planted red cabbage by her front porch. She does not believe in insecticides of any kind. Sadly, her cabbages are about all gone, whereas the other vegetables plants by them are healthy and show no signs of infestation. She does not see any bugs on those cabbages either.
If your problem is caused by snails or slugs, try using oak leaves or seaweed for mulch. You can also dip your cabbage leaves in a caffeine solution (from 0.5 to 2%).
Check for bugs at night, and you will have more luck finding out what pests are invading your plants.
