SHIFTING ROOTS

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6 Organic Ways To Keep Bugs Out of Broccoli

May 6, 2019

There’s nothing quite like the fresh taste of broccoli from the garden, but if you live in an area where farmers grow a lot of canola (hello Saskatchewan!!), growing broccoli at home seems like an impossible dream.

Sure, things start out okay, until mid summer when broccoli becomes invested with worms and flea beetle bugs.

And it’s not just broccoli. Other vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, kale, turnips and radishes all suffer the same fate. (Although the holes on the leaves of the turnips and radishes aren’t as big of a deal.)

So how do you grow bug free broccoli?

I’ve compiled 6 organic ways you can protect your cruciferous vegetables from bugs, as well as how to wash out the bugs if a few manage to get in there.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase anything, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more about it in my privacy policy. Thanks for supporting Shifting Roots!

1. Mesh Laundry Baskets

The easiest solution to bug-free broccoli is easily found on Amazon or at your local dollar store: a pop-up mesh laundry basket.

Just pop it up, secure it with landscaping staples, and let your broccoli grow. The rain and sun get in, and the bugs and worms stay out.

When the season is over, collapse the laundry hampers for easy storage that doesn’t take up a lot of space.

2. Screens

Screens require a little bit of DIY magic, but are a more long-lasting option that will be good for many years to come.

Make a frame out of wood the size of the area you want to protect. You could make it to fit multiple vegetables, or just one. staple screen material on the frame and set over your vegetables.

3. Nylons and Hoisery

This method is a little more finicky, and will only work for broccoli and cauliflower. However, you likely already have some on hand or could easily get some used ones for free.

Cut the legs off of a pair of sheer pantyhose.

Once the broccoli or cauliflower bud starts to appear, cover the main bud with the toe end of a pair of sheer nylons. Lightly secure. As the broccoli grows, the nylons will stretch and protect the plant from bugs.

4. Mesh Food Tents

The mesh food tents you’d use to protect your food during a picnic work the same way as the pop up laundry hampers. Get the largest ones you can find and secure with landscape staples.

This pack of 24 would work for most backyard gardeners.

5. Bacillus Thuringiensis

If you’re looking for something to spray on your vegetables, rather than cover them, you might want to try bacillus thuringiensis.

Bacillus Thuringiensis is an organic insecticide that is used to control pest caterpillars. It harms the bad worms, but won’t kill beneficial bugs that you want in your garden. In Canada it is commonly sold as BTK in any larger locally owned garden centre. You can find it on Amazon in the US as Thuricide.

Mix the concentrate as per the instructions on the bottle. Spray any cruciferous vegetables once a week and after a rain.

6. Floating Row Covers

Floating row cover kits are an easy was to protect your vegetables. Just pop up the hoops, cover with the mesh, and secure at the ends.

Too Late to Protect Your Broccoli? Here’s How To Get The Bugs Out After Harvest

To get rid of any bugs hiding in the broccoli florets, start by filling your sink with cold water. Add in 1/4 cup of salt and 2 tbsp of vinegar. Let sit for 20 minutes and rinse the broccoli.

During this process the broccoli must be completely submerged. lay a baking pan or a dinner plate on top of the broccoli to weigh it down.

As you can see, there’s lots of options so you can grow bug free cruciferous vegetables. Don’t let a few silly worms stop you from growing delicious broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale!

I love to grow broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, but I hate how cabbage worms get to it every year.  I'm so excited to discover there are 6 organic ways to get rid of cabbage worms and finally get my vegetable garden under control.  These products are all pretty cheap too! #gardeningtips #broccoli #cabbageworms #vegetable
Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

www.shiftingroots.com

3 Comments
Filed Under: Gardening Tagged: broccoli, bugs, cabbageworms, cauliflower, Kale, organic, pest control, vegetable garden, vegetable gardening

How to Make Healthy Low Carb Cauliflower Rice

January 23, 2018

Cauliflower rice is one of those things that you’ve probably heard of and wanted to try, but it just seemed too weird.  Or complicated.  Or something that only the insanely health conscious can do.  I’m here to tell you that if you can operate a food processor and fry stuff in a pan, you can make delicious cauliflower rice.

Let’s get started!

Ever wondered how to make cauliflower rice? Here's an easy healthy recipe to replace rice or pasta. It's low carb, vegetarian, paleo, whole 30, or keto friendly. So simple and delicious! I know I'll be planting more cauliflower in my vegetable garden this year just so I can make more of this! #cauliflowerrecipe #cauliflowerrice #lowcarb #keto #one3one #vegetarian #paleo #glutenfree #healthyrecipe #healthy #lunch #dinner #supper

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Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

www.shiftingroots.com

2 Comments
Filed Under: Get Healthy, Recipes, Simple & Easy Tagged: cauliflower, garden produce, keto, low carb, paleo, rice, whole 30

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Welcome!

Hi, I'm Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

P.S. First time gardener? You'll want to download the quick start gardening guide below!

Recent Posts

  • 5 Easy Ways to Increase Pollination in Your Vegetable Garden
  • Bloom Times: What Cut Flowers Grow When in Zone 3
  • The Best Vegetables & Flowers to Start with Winter Sowing
  • 21 Cut Flowers to Grow in Part Shade
  • The Best Grow Lights for Seedlings (from Budget to Bougie)

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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I love seeing the world through this loving boy’ I love seeing the world through this loving boy’s eyes.  Honestly, I’ve been so sick that I wasn’t really in the mood to “do Valentines Day” but there was this sweet little voice going on about how excited he was for today and how much he loves his family and I just couldn’t resist.  So whether you’re on your own, part of a couple, or in the thick of life-with-littles craziness, Happy Valentines Day!

#valentinesday2020 #mylittlevalentine #boymomlife #lifewithlittles
How do you pass a cold -28 day? By planning your How do you pass a cold -28 day?  By planning your garden, of course!  Today in my stories I’ll be going through the steps I take to start planning everything out.  I’m curious, do you start planning now or wait until the last minute?

P.S.  want your own copy of this planner?  This is the newly updated paid version and it’s on sale by itself from now until Sunday for only $5.  If you’re from Canada, use the code CANADA to make $5 USD be closer to $5 CAD.  Head over to the link in my bio to get yours.

#gardenplanning #gardenplanner #gardenersofinstagram #gardenersofig #organizedlife #organizedliving #wintergardening
Curious about growing lettuce indoors? My experim Curious about growing lettuce indoors?  My experiment is a success so far, although it’s still going to be awhile before I’m eating another salad off of them.

Okay, so maybe a little rant today.  I think sometimes in the gardening space we’re guilty of making things seem easier than they are.  Myself included.  This lettuce project is a case in point.

Was it easy?  Yes.  But will it provide me with endless salads all winter long? Nope.  Or at least not at this scale.  I’m going to estimate that I’d need at least 15 plants this size, especially since it’s winter and everything just grows slower.  And I’m the only person in my family who really eats salad.

In conclusion, this is a fun project to pass the winter, and not a truly sustainable source of lettuce.

Thoughts?

#growinglettuce #eatwhatyougrow #growwhatyoueat #wintergardening #indoorgardening #plantproject #sustainablefood #gardenersofinstagram #gardenerslife #northerngardening
Part of the mystery of seed starting is knowing ex Part of the mystery of seed starting is knowing exactly what to start when.  Every two weeks, I'll be posting these handy guides so you have enough time to order your seeds and be ready to plant when it's time for your area.  To find out when these veggies, herbs, and flowers need to be started where you live. . . ⁠
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1. Search out your area's last frost date.  There are plenty of calculators on the Internet.⁠
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2. Count backwards 8 weeks from that date.⁠
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3. Start these seeds when that date hits.⁠
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If you follow me because we're in similar zones--don't panic, it's not time yet!! I won't be starting my 10 week seeds for another two weeks, and even that is slightly on the early side. (I'm starting everything a bit early so I can hopefully plant it out before baby gets here--I won't be physically able to do it after.) I like posting the info early for followers in warmer zones and so you can save it and still have time to order/buy seeds & supplies.⁠
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Which one of these are you most excited to start?⁠
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#seedstarting #seedlings #homegardener #northerngardener #homesteading #urbandhomesteading #homesteadingskills #gardenlife #gardenlifestyle #startingseeds
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The catch?

These plants are notoriously hard to grow, especially when you live somewhere cold with a really cold growing season—and if they get a hint of frost on them they turn to mush and all my hard work is ruined.

Gulp.

But gardeners are born optimists, so I’m giving it a shot—because you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

P.S. if you’re trying luffa in zone 3 like me, just basically ignore all the directions on the seed packet.  Start them immediately (two weeks ago would have been ideal) and follow along because I’ll show you exactly what to do and when.  I’ll be popping these under a grow light once the sun goes down.

#luffagourd #luffa #loofah #seedlings #seedstarting #northerngardening #northerngardener #gardenersofinstagram #gardenersofig #mygardenthismonth #gardenlife #canadiangardening
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Is there such a thing as a no-fail houseplant? I Is there such a thing as a no-fail houseplant?  I think the Sansevera or Snake Plant or Mother-in-law’s tongue comes close.  Sure, it might be the vanilla of the plant-loving world, but it is so good for so many situations!⁠
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It can handle you forgetting to water it, low light, or bright light.  It is somewhat forgiving if you are an over-waterer. ⁠
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I’ve had this one for 2 or 3 years now and I keep getting rewarded with more spikes.⁠
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Plant lovers, is there another houseplant you think would be perfect for beginners?⁠
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#crazyplantlady #houseplantsofig #houseplantsofinstagram #snakeplant #houseplantlove
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