Something eating my Mustard Greens!

Something is eating my Mustard Greens! They have little holes in the leaves. Is there an organic soultion to the problem that you know of?

Maybe slugs? They love tender greens. The organic method that is no fail is to go out at night with a flashlight and pick them off.

Probably snails - they will do a number on all leafy crops - cabbage, lettuce, brussels sprouts, horseradish, etc.

I'm trying the beer saucer thing this year.
Got lots of crushed eggshells in the garden already - but obviously not enough.

Their really tiny holes in the leaves. I'll check it out tonight.

edited to add... I'll try the beer if I find slugs.

This message was edited Feb 19, 2008 1:11 PM

Really tiny holes that look like the plant has caught a load of birdshot is indicative of flea beetles. I am not organic so I can't help you there.

Thanks, Farmerdill, I now have something I can shoot for.

Sounds like flea beetles, Dean. Diatomaceous earth, neem oil are suggested organic methods to deal with the little pests. and did you plant those radishes as a trap crop?

Thanks, doccat, no I didn't plant any radishes. Maybe I'll look into getting a pack of seeds. I'll get some Diatomaceous earth.

I bought some Diatomaceous earth and Radish seeds. Should I interplant the radishes w/ the Mustard Greens?

You might want to plant them at the borders of your greens. You want to use them to draw the pill bugs aways from your greens. You can pull up and discard the damaged radishes. And just plant some more. They're cheap and germinate fast.

And if you get lucky, Dean, and the roly-polys don't get all of them, some will bolt - the seed pods of radishes are a real treat. Cut a few radish leaves to mix with the mustard when you steam them - good eatin'.

I'll try that out, Bubba, if I have any left afterwards.

Dean

How is everything doing????????

Jenn,

There is still some some small holes from the flee beatles. I want to apply some diatemous earth, but it had been raining. There also slightly yellow looking. Are they supposed to be yellowish? I thought dark green would be better.

I have no clue.. I have not grown them and watching you do so is scarying me so that I won't!

Dean, see this site for a list of mustard diseases-hard to diagnosis this way
http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-7549.pdf

Thanks, doccat, I'll check out the site. I want them to grow soon. That spot I want to plant my tomatoes.

doccat, No, my mustard greens don't show any of the syptoms of disease listed on that website. Maybe, fertility related, I did use some 6-2-2 fertilizer. Or perhaps those darn flea beatles are sucking the life out of the plants. Today no rain is forecasted so I'll apply the diatomaceous earth.