Cabbage Loopers These larvae that become one-and-a-half- to two-inch caterpillars can chew your mustard to pieces, literally. Cabbage loopers, Trichoplusia ni, eat big holes in mustard, particularly the broadleaf varieties like ‘Red Giant.
What causes holes in mustard greens?
Adult beetles chew small holes in leaves, giving them a sievelike appearance. The cotyledons of emerging seedlings are especially susceptible to damage. The larvae feed on underground parts of the plant. High populations of flea beetles feeding on seedling plants can result in stand loss.
Can you eat mustard greens with holes in them?
Fortunately, there’s good news! Greens with holes in them that were created by feeding insects or slugs should be fine to eat, if you cut away the damaged parts.
What can I spray on mustard greens for bugs?
Yes, Bayer Advanced Vegetable and Garden Insect Spray is labeled for both turnips and mustard greens. You will use 1/2 fl oz per gallon of water. Do not spray more than 6 times per season, and do not harvest until at least 7 days after application.
What is eating my mustard plant?
Aphids are a common pest of mustard. They rapidly multiply until they literally cover the underside of the leaves. Inspect your plants frequently. When aphid colonies are found, treat with diazinon, dimethoate or malathion.
Should I cut off leaves with holes?
You should remove leaves with holes if they are caused due to a disease. This will help prevent spread of the disease if it’s a fungal problem. You can also remove leaves with holes if you are growing the plant for aesthetic appeal. You should remove leaves with holes if the major portion of the leaf is damaged.
How do you treat holes in plant leaves?
For both, treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Sucking insects poke tiny holes in leaves and draw the juices out of them. Common sucking insects include aphids, squash bugs, and spider mites.
What is making holes in my plant leaves?
Holes From Slugs and Snails
If you find holes in leaves but no bugs, visit your garden with a flashlight at night. That’s when slugs and snails do their dirty work. Slugs and snails chew leaf holes in many plant types, including hibiscus, hosta, basil, cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and pepper plants.
How do you keep bugs off greens?
Spicy foods such as onion, garlic and hot pepper are fatally irritating to pests on collards. Make a garlic or hot pepper spray by steeping a few cloves of garlic or a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a quart of water for about an hour. You can also add a chopped, raw onion to the water.
What does a flea beetle look like?
What Do Flea Beetles Look Like? Up close, flea beetles look like tiny beetles. They’re shiny, and can appear to be black, brown or even bluish in color. Some species may even have spots or stripes.
What lays eggs on mustard greens?
The Most Effective Way to Prevent Aphids is to…
Find your last frost date HERE. You will need to spray your mustard greens several times before the spring to destroy aphid eggs and repel mature aphids.
What does aphids look like?
Aphids are small, 1/16- to 1/8-inch-long (2-4 mm), pear-shaped, soft-bodied insects. They can range in color from green, black, red, yellow, brown or gray. Mature aphids can be wingless or can have wings. Winged aphids are similar in color but are a little darker.
What insects eat mustard greens?
Mustard greens attract many of the same pests as cauliflower, broccoli, and the like.
Common Pests
- Aphids. Aphids do substantial damage in large numbers.
- Cabbage Loopers.
- Flea Beetles.
- Slugs and Snails.
- Whiteflies.
What is eating small holes in my lettuce?
Slugs are the most common cause of holes in leaves, but they often remain unseen because they feed at night. Sometimes larger slugs eat leaves from the edge inward, but small slugs make irregular holes inside leaves, as shown in the chard leaf on the right in the above photo. Slug holes always have smooth green edges.
What is a mustard bug?
Definition of mustard beetle
: a small black European leaf beetle (Phaedon cochleariae) destructive to mustard and other cruciferous plants.
Do chewed leaves grow back?
Leaves don’t heal themselves from wounds. Some plants will simply abort damaged leaves and produce fresh ones. Others will live with the damage just fine, but their appearance will be off. If a plant produces new leaves consistently in normal conditions, simply lop off any damage.
What do holes in leaves mean?
In most cases, holes in the leaves of your flowers mean insect pests, such as caterpillars or slugs. Look on the undersides of leaves for insects or inspect the ground for other telltale signs. Caterpillars, for example, leave green fecal pellets, while slugs and snails leave a shiny trail.
Should I cut off leaves eaten by bugs?
If the leaf is more than half damaged by the bug, then you should cut it off the tree or plant. The same is true if the leaves have become yellowed or brown because of damage from bugs. Cutting the affected leaves off will direct needed nutrients to the other healthier leaves and allow them to thrive.
What to spray on plant leaves to keep bugs away?
Once they’re gone for the moment, spray down the plants with a homemade insecticidal soap. A great recipe for a homemade bug spray for vegetable plants is to use one tablespoon of dish soap, one cup of vegetable oil, one quart of water, and one cup of rubbing alcohol.
How do I get rid of bugs eating my plant leaves?
Vegetable Oil
Use 1 tablespoon of mild soap (like dish soap or castile soap) to 1 cup of vegetable oil. Mix well. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil mix to 1 quart of water and pour into a spray bottle. Spray the top and bottom of each leaf where the insects are dwelling and the stems if needed.
What eats little holes in plant leaves?
Caterpillars range from 4-inch-long tomato hornworms to inchworm-like cabbage loopers that eat holes in plant leaves. Caterpillars enjoy many plants, including roses, hydrangeas, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and cabbage. Caterpillar holes in leaves often start along leaf edges.