Cabbages with holes.

[Ricard with an H]

I had assumed the main culprit was the caterpillar of the cabbage-white, I saw a few slugg-ettes but not enough to warrant he damage. If you need a photo I have one in the pipeline for you though it just looks like the classic cabbage damage.

Just to re-iterate, these cabbages have been under enviromesh since small plants. I didn't lay any slug pellets and I never had this amount of damage from slugs yet.

Yet.

So is this slugs ?

I've been removing the outer leaves in the hope of disturbing whatever it is that's eating the leaves, some cabbages are hearting-up. Some are so damaged they are struggling.

Last year I grew cabbage that wasn't covered, I lost 50% to the wind. No problem with cabbage-whites or slugs though I may have put slug pellets down. A failing memory isn't very helpful.

[Diane]

Might be flea beetle - that's what happened to mine this year. Look underneath the leaves. Are there lots of little beetle creatures lurking?

I sprayed mine with organic insecticide.

[Ricard with an H]

Ahh, thats interesting Diane, but I didn't see anything.

I'll take another closer look.

Neighbours who are artists and have a type of microscope to look at cloth-fibres and paint did identify something along these lines earlier in the year on all my salad leaves.

They described a ring of eggs around a hole.

If I have to use insecticides It'll spoil the whole concept so Ill look for organic means if they are available.

[Diane]

You can definitely see flea beetles
..https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=510

[Ricard with an H]

Thanks for the link Diane.

The beetles jump off when disturbed explains why I haven't seen any though the crop has been covered with enviromesh since they were six inch plants so the beetles were in the soil.

RHS don't mention an organic answer, or did I miss it. If I have to use something called "Thiocloprid" I may as well buy my cabbage from the Co-op.

To be honest most of my salad stuff has been affected by flea beetles, the cabbage patch is 50 paces away from the raised beds.

Does garlic work ? Most of the damage seems to be done as they haven't (yet) attacked the hearts.

I just thought of a reason last years cabbage wasn't affected, maybe the beetles were in the chicken-poo I dug in when I re-claimed this ground for growing and maybe that patch of ground is flea beetle heaven because they even have been at the willows. Ah-well, who amongst us is free of of an army of creatures trying to bugger-up our efforts ?

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Richard, it looks more like slug or snail damage to me!!!!

[Ricard with an H]

Well I did see a few small slugs on the leaves though this is a six metre row of cabbage by two cabbages wide and some kale. I didn't see that many slugs but what I know what they get up to.

Clearly I need to deal with the slugs but I have had holes in all my rocket, mizuna, the leaves of radish and little gem.

It only manifested itself two/three weeks ago, prior to that I was picking the outer leaves for eating and being very boastful about how clean my cabbage leaves were, then the little buggers moved in. Maybe they moved in during the 15 minutes or so I uncovered to pick leaves.

Slugs tend to leave a slime deposit, whilst I know there are slugs on the leaves I have taken three barrow loads of outer leaves off the cabbages, some are just left with the stump and a small heart.

I better get eating cabbage Eh ?

[PLUMPUDDING]

I found a lot of little baby slugs inside some of my cabbages, probably nice and moist in there.

[Ricard with an H]

Yes I did find those but never imagined they could do that amount of damage.

I'm going to sow some more Kale and cabbage, it's quite sheltered at the cabbage patch though I did have plans to over-winter some farm manure in the soil and form a raised bed around what I already did.

I suppose it depends on the quality of first cabbage heart, I have only harvested outer leaves so-far.

I have grand plans, short of cash and short of a strong back.

I'm have yet to make a garlic juice to spray, can anyone give me an idea other than just cooking and sieving. Dog fleas don't like garlic, the garlic we give our dog (Vet approved) is so minute in whatever it is that works you or I cannot tell there is garlic in that tiny capsule.

Erm ? I'm not quite sure that-all sounds right, please sort it out. I'm tired.