Broccoli Worms

Very often when I serve broccoli to our now grown family, the kids mention how "grossed out" they used to get when they saw the little green worms float to the surface in the salt water bath. Such reminiscing always elicits a chuckle from all of us. With such memories, it is remarkable that they like broccoli today. As we all know, those little green worms are cabbage loopers, and they have a wonderful place to hide deep inside the broccoli. A salty bath does get rid of them before you cook the broccoli, but I have been told that using row covers will eliminate the looper problem altogether because the moths can't get to the plants to lay their eggs. Put these row covers on supports to cover the broccoli as you put the plants in the garden. It may be too late for the broccoli you're harvesting now, but consider it for your later planting--or remember it for next spring