[louiser]

Hi Everyone

I am new here and fairly new to having an allotment.  We 'moved in' around May this year so did as well as we could.  Planted far too many courgettes and squash, planted onions too deep, didn't dig potatoes properly, allowed the swede to be eaten you name it! 

I slug pelleted the swede until the leaves were off the ground, seemed ok for months but now the leaves are ruined and something (maybe slug?) has eaten the actual swede?

My favourite thing is the Kale but it is getting ruined by being eaten.  It can't be slugs as it is around 25 cms off the ground.  'Next door' has beautiful Kale and doesn't seem to put anything down (never there when we are to ask!) so I am wondering what I am doing wrong?! 

Thank you for reading

[devonbarmygardener]

Hi lousier and welcome

Cattypiddlers and slugs and snails will eat various brassicas.

The evidence caterpillars leave behind is their poo which is the dark greeny slimy substance that accumulates at the neck of the plant.

Best option is to check the undersides of the leaves for eggs and rub them off and check all plants for actual caterpillars and squash them!

[BabbyAnn]

My favourite thing is the Kale but it is getting ruined by being eaten.  It can't be slugs as it is around 25 cms off the ground.  'Next door' has beautiful Kale and doesn't seem to put anything down

Slugs and snails can climb  - many a time I think my seedlings on a table will be safe and come back to find them munched down to soil level

Could be cabbage white caterpillars but I don't recall having a problem on kale.  Pigeons on the other hand will rip the leaves to shreds 

With regards to your neighbour's crop, I'd be interested to know too - many a plot on my site have brassica plants brazenly out in the open yet mine always seem to get targetted by one thing or another if I didn't grow them under fine mesh netting.

[louiser]

Thank you for your replies

I will certainly keep a closer look.  I do notice tiny white dot like flies come off when I brush them.

I think he has looked after his plot with watering much better than me - we did get a little complacent with the hot wet weather and perhaps haven't watered over the past few weeks as much as we should have. 

There was thinking slugs were all I had to worry about and treating them with pellets early on and I missed all this!

My Dad mentioned brassica's have issues on his site too and said something about seeds that are pre treated?! 

[BabbyAnn]

My Dad mentioned brassica's have issues on his site too and said something about seeds that are pre treated?!

Most pre-treated seeds tend to be the bigger ones like squash or sweetcorn that are at risk of rotting before germination so have a coating of fungicide.  If there are any that have pesticide on, they are usually for farmers use and strictly controlled - the treatment contains a systemic pesticide which may be linked to bee colony collapse.  Whatever the treatment, you shouldn't handle the seeds with bare hands as the chemicals can be toxic (be careful with young children around as the coating are brightly coloured turquoise or red)

[snowdrops]

Yes slugs can climb, I've seen trails up to a first floor window box, or down not sure which . It's whitefly that are your white dots, don't seem to do much damage in HMO but someone will disagree I'm sure . Each year you win some you lose some it seems.

[Yorkie]

Cabbage whites completely skeletonised my kale last year 

[Gardener and Rabbit]

Caterpillars and pigeons are most likely culprits - kale is very hardy though,  and in previous years mine has recovered to give a later crop after the caterpillars are over, and once covered with netting against pigeons.  Should mention that Rabbits also love kale in my experience! G&R

[gypsy]

I cut some Kale, washed it under the tap at the allotment then took it home and put it on the draining board. Next time I looked there were 2 big green caterpillars in the sink. 

[devonbarmygardener]

Thank you for your replies

I will certainly keep a closer look.  I do notice tiny white dot like flies come off when I brush them.

That's whitefly. I don't think they eat brassica leaves, they just seem to like to live on the leaves - maybe they suck the sap from the plants  I might have just made that up!

To prevent whitefly, I plant marigolds all around my brassica and bean beds - they look pretty and NO whitefly or blackfly

[colin120]

My kale & young turnips have both been eaten think its the pigeons as the bigger turnips leaves don't get touched,
Pigeons don't like the taste of the leaves when they are more mature  so have now covered young turnips and my kale until they get bigger.

[pigguns]

Swede is probably flea beatle but can't help with kales- my first year of growing it and no problems so far.