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Something is munching my veg!

martynE13mAqCpmartynE13mAqCp Posts: 2
in Fruit & veg
Hi all, for the past few year some of veg has suffered from small holes in leaves - it effects pok choi, radish and turnip leaves and rocket.  Any ideas what this is and how to treat ?
Picture attached and many thanks 

Posts

  • PlashingPlashing Posts: 328
    Mainly flea beetle on the leaf in the middle, I have them on my Pak choi we still eat them and haven't come to any harm, also you slugs and snails attacking them the one in the middle is similar to the ones on my Pak choi, I have found that the flea beetle is more troublesome in very dry weather I keep watering mine and they haven't been so bad. You can get some very fine mesh to ward off the attack .I haven' bothered to fleece them





  • martynE13mAqCpmartynE13mAqCp Posts: 2
    Thanks for your help, at least I now know what I'm up against !
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,082
    @Plashing is that flea beetle making those white marks on the leaves,  sucking out the sap? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • PlashingPlashing Posts: 328
    Yes they make pin prick size holes the trouble is you can't see the blighters, I picked some Pak choi this morning that  had holes like a sieve I just put them in water mixed with vinegar and we had them for dinner, I have used them in stir fries and had no issues at all, I did notice that they were a few beetles in the water. I think  that the holes go a bit yellowish with have had the sap sucked out
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,082
    Never noticed them,   The only veg I’ve got outside at the moment apart from leeks and beans  is parsnips,  they’ve never suffered. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • scrogginscroggin Posts: 423
    Lyn said:
    Never noticed them,   The only veg I’ve got outside at the moment apart from leeks and beans  is parsnips,  they’ve never suffered. 
    They only tend to attack the brassica family.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,441
    Pak choi terrible for flea beetles.  I seem to remember someone showing how to drag a piece of yellow cardboard covered in vaseline over them. The beetles jump up and stick to the card.  Might have been Geoff Hamilton.
  • PlashingPlashing Posts: 328
    I will try that with my next sowing and planting out, then I will let you know, I am going to sow some more this week and hopefully they will germinate in this heat.
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