Holey brassicas, Batman!

[Kaiya]

I planted out my brassicas on the 12th/13th May, and they looked ok then. Now they look thoroughly unhappy. I know the large sections of nibbled leaves are pigeons and/or slugs, so ignore that bit I know I need to consider some form of net although the cost is prohibitive (you can buy a lot of cabbage for £15). However I'm wondering what is causing the yellow spots and tiny holes? There was a hailstorm over the Jubilee weekend apparently - could that explain the shotgun like effect? Just to interfere with that theory, I planted out raddishes Wednesday just gone and they too are looking indistinguishable from the turnips - equally holey, and they haven't been hailed on...


Cabbage/cauli - yellow dots, some becoming holes


Cabbage/cauli - clear bird/slug damage but the yellow dots are the reason for the photo


Turnip - looking almost filigree. Raddishes look like this.

Affected are turnips, raddishes, cabbage and cauliflower, and calabrese to a lesser extent. Brussels are apparently immune.

Perplexed, in Essex

[Farmer_Gyles]

nets can be used again and again and again .... you could ask around for old net curtains or debris netting, totally free of charge .... try freecycle .... once you've got the netting, the only cost of cabbage is the seeds .... and you'll get a lot more cabbage for your £15 than you could ever buy in a supermarket!

don't know about the yellow dots tho ....

[lottie dolly]

looks like the flea beatle,they a nuisance at the best of times,but this year,seems like they extended their taste buds,horrible things

[Two_Sheds]

Shotgun markings ~ a great description of the damage the flea beetle does, to all brassicas including radishes

[Kaiya]

Ooo! How interesting! I know I should be cross rather than interested but I do like to learn new things. From a rapid google and book raid I see it's mostly a case of using a piece of greased card to trap them and hope the seedlings don't succumb to the attack.

I think I may start some extra brassicas off today - just in case I need to replace some... It's late, but this weather is weird anyway.

And source some netting so at least it's only the beetle and slugs the poor things need to combat!