What could be eating my radish plants?

14 years ago

A bit surprised as my rows of rasishes are falling victim to something I don't think is slugs.

Could the flea beetle or similar be doing it?

The damage looks a bit like what I get on turnip leaves but to date my radishes weren't too badly affected.

If it is something along those lines should I powder with derris dust ( or spray with liquid derris)?

Or is it better to cover them with fleece (=reemay)?

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Comments (5)

organicguy
14 years ago
What does the damage look like? Flea beetles with eat little holes in the leaves, while slugs usually eat the leaves deom the outside in. Cut worms, usually cut off ther stem near the root, etc. You didn't say what the damage looks like except like "what you get on your turnips"! ????

Ron
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lucyfretwell
Original Author
14 years ago
well it reminded me of that but actally it is more like everything is eaten down to the stem (they are very yuung anyway)
There are holes in the leaves (of the ones that haven't been so badly attacked) but the damage to a lot of them goes further.
Anyway I have decided to make a mini polytunnnel just for them out of a strip of fleece (=reemay) so I hope that will cure the problem (always supposing that I haven't trepped the culprits inside)
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Well, the carnage has continued, although there is not much left to chew on. I've been checking every night, sometimes twice a night. I've found out that sow bugs are much more active around dusk and early night...but still no evidence that they are doing the damage, I haven't found any more up on a plant. And I'm slowly but surely depopulating them from my garden boxes. This evil being finally got to the squash and the best plant now has a skeleton of 8 stems with little diomond shaped tufts of leftover leaves at the end of each stem. But I have not seen anything on the plants and I've been checking for 6 nights now. The damage seems to be done after I look and since many times I've looked at 2-3am I'm beginning to think it's happening in the morning when I've asleep. That leads me to suspect a bird. But a bird can't climb out on the stems of a squash plant, and they won't support it (unless it's a tiny bird). And the squash leaves were 5-8 inches above the ground, not to mention the bean leaves as much as 12-18 inches up. So a tiny bird couldn't get to the squash leaves unless it can hover and eat at the same time...is this possible? Are there nocturnal humming birds that like squash leaves?? I'm trying two more tricks...cayenne pepper powder on the remaining leaves, and some rat traps baited with pumpkin seeds. I just read that birds aren't bothered by the cayenne unless it gets up in the air as a dust. So what can I sprinkle on leaves that would repel a bird? Apparently the aptly named methyl anthranilate is unpalatable to birds and can be sprayed on plants. Has anyone tried this?
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organicguy
14 years ago
Putting up a "poly tunnel" now is like locking the door after the burgler is inside! :-)

It sounds to me like it's either an animal, like a rabbit or birds, or cut worms.

For animals I would try Repels- All.

For cutworms, you can put cardboard collars around plants to keep them away, but for radishes, that is impossible.
If you are going to replants, I would put some Rotonone in a spray bottle, and spray only those seedlings from emergence until they are a few inches tall.

The little holes in the leaves are probally flea beetles. While unsightly, the little holes are unlikely to hurt the plants overall health or damage youe crop. I would just leave that be!

Ron
The Garden Guy
** See Link Below!
Informatibe Articles, Ongoing Garden Journal,
Interactive Message Boards - ALL FREE!!

Here is a link that might be useful: The GardenGuy Website & Blog
lucyfretwell
Original Author
14 years ago
thanks
its only a mini polytunnel for a sngle row of raishes (6-9 inches wide.I am hoping the buggers have hopped off for a short break (I think they can be nocturnal feeders so maybe they are taking a kip in another patch)
In any case I have to plant the next batch of radishes anyway now and I will have the derris to hand this time (I think it is the same thing as rotonone)- and also keep a look out for cutworms
User
14 years ago
Look for green crap under the plant. The worms may be hiding on the back of the leaves and be almost the color of the leaves. The amount of green crap will depend on what you have. Sometimes the larger amount of crap the smaller the worm.

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What could be eating my radish plants?

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What could be eating my radish plants?

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