Sort pests with oil or dust

Good quality, organic neem oil (look for the Biogro logo) is recommended to destroy chewing and sucking pests on your precious broccoli heads and leaves. Alternatively, to keep the white butterfly or grey cabbage moth from laying eggs on your plants, you can build or buy a frame to cover your broccoli garden with a netting that will let the sun in but keep the white butterflies and moths out. That said, white butterflies have been seen folding their wings in to push their way through grape netting and do the same to get out again, so make sure the netting you use has fine mesh with holes too small for the butterflies and moths to get through. Do not use shade cloth as it will reduce the amount of sunlight available to the plants. If a netted frame or neem oil is not an option, you can smother your plants with derris dust – an oldie but a goodie – to keep the butterflies from landing to lay eggs. A garden expert at a good garden supplies store near you will be able to help you make the best choice for your garden.