Holes on cabbage leavesis a very common symptom in the cultivation of white, red, Italian and Beijing cabbage.The formation of holes in the cabbagemay be the result of an attack by pests as well as a fungal disease. Only the correct identification of the cause will allow us to choose the right ways to protect cruciferous vegetables. Here are the most commonreasons for the formation of holes in cabbage leavesand how to prevent such damage.
Holes in cabbage leaves bitten by pestsFig. depositphotos.com
Snails on cabbage leaves
Holes in cabbage leaves can be gnawed by snailsThey can be both small and large holes of various shapes, and in periods of wet weather it can even lead to pig-eaters. Often the snails scrape the tissue, leaving only the top leaf peel. This makes it difficult to identify the culprit, as identical damage may be caused by other cabbage pests. Cruciferous vegetables can be attacked by different types of snails, both naked (that is, without the shell) slugs, slugs and goblets, as well as shelled snails, such as garden snails.
If we find snails in cabbagethe matter seems obvious. It can be difficult, however, as most snails forage mainly at night, and during the day they escape to their hiding places. Then it is worth checking if they have left traces of their mucus.
Fighting snails in cabbageis difficult because this vegetable is a delicacy for snails and it is difficult to eat drive away from the cabbage.Often, even in order to protect other plants, it is recommended to cover cabbage leaves as a bait for snails.
To get rid of these pests from cabbageit is worth using plants that repel snails. For this purpose,cabbage can be grown together with garlicBy the way, the strong smell of garlic will make it difficult for other pests that attack this vegetable to find the cabbage beds. You can also lay the cut yarrow and tansy herbs between the rows of cabbage, which the snails avoid from a distance.
A snail bites holes on cabbage leaves
Fig. depositphotos.com
Collect snails by hand, if possibleWe will make it easier by placing flat slats around the cabbage beds, under which the snails will seek shelter from the sun. Every morning, pick up the boards and collect the snails hidden under them.Cabbage beds can also be surrounded with copper tape , which is a barrier for snails (they avoid contact with copper at all costs).
Another good and ecological solution isbas alt flour, which is spread on the bed between the cabbagesIt can also sprinkle whole plants, which will prevent aphids from landing on the cabbage and fleas. Bas alt meal sticks to the bodies of snails and makes it difficult for them to move, and at the same time is an excellent fertilizer of natural origin. After heavy rainfall, it must be scattered again.
If we want to useanti-slugs , choose the ecological ones based on iron III phosphate. This substance of natural origin is harmful to snails but safe for other creatures that feed on snails. In this way, we can be calm about birds, hedgehogs or frogs, which naturally limit the number of snails.
Suchsafe preparation for snails in cabbageis, for example, Ślimakol Substral Naturen. The granules of this preparation should be scattered on the ground between the protected cabbage.
You can also use a fine-meshed net against snails on cabbage. The main task of such a mesh is to prevent the fly from laying eggs by cabbage, but this cover will also effectively cut off the path for snails.
Holes on cabbage leaves bitten by fleas
Round or irregular holes in cabbage leavescan be gnawed by ground fleas. Fleas are small beetles up to 2.5 mm long and move in a characteristic jumping manner. Against fleas, it is worth placing yellow sticky tablets between the cabbages and covering the soil with a dense fleece that will not allow the fleas to come out of the soil after overwintering. You can also use the above-mentionedmethods to counteract holes bitten by snails at the same timeIt is sprinkling cabbage with bas alt flour and spreading tansy herb between plants.Against ground fleas, you can also spray cabbage with tansy decoction.
As a last resortcabbage attacked by fleascan be sprayed with Karate Zeon 050 CS (use 1.2 ml per 6 liters of water) and Deltam (4-5 ml per 6 liters of water / 100 m² cultivation)
Caterpillars on cabbage leaves
Holes in cabbage leaves can also be gnawed by caterpillars of butterflies , such as cabbage moth, cabbage moth or cruciferous moth. Caterpillars caterpillars are yellow-green, while cruciferous moths are green with dark heads. The caterpillar of cabbage moth is initially green, then brown, with orange stripes on the sides of the body.
To prevent caterpillars from appearing on the cabbage, , it is worth growing the cabbage in tandem with tomatoes and celery, the smell of which discourages butterflies from laying eggs on the cabbage. It is also helpful to lay tansy and yarrow herb between the cabbages and spray decoctions from these plants.As you can see, then tansy and yarrow aremethods against various causes of holes in cabbage
Caterpillars gnawing holes on cabbage leaves
Fig. depositphotos.com
Against butterfly caterpillars biting holes in cabbage leaveswe can also spray with the biological preparation Lepinox Plus. This agent contains a bacterium that is harmful to the caterpillars and causes them to die quickly. At the same time, it is safe for beneficial insects and other organisms living in the garden.For amateur use in gardens, Lepinox Plus is packed in 3x10g sachets. The 10g sachet should be dissolved in 3-5 liters of water, so it fits the most common sizes of garden sprayers. This amount is enough to spray 100m² of cabbage beds.
For spraying against butterfly caterpillars, you can also use the already mentioned preparation Karate Zeon 050 CS, which will also protect our cabbage against earth fleas.
Stains and holes on cabbage leaves due to illness
The formation of holes on the leavesmay also be the result of a dangerous fungal disease of cabbage, which is the blackness of cruciferous, also often referred to as brassicosis or black spot.Symptoms of cruciferous blacks on cabbageare dark brown spots with a diameter of 0.5 to several cm. Usually these spots are concentrically zoned, sometimes with a yellow border. Over time, the stains increase in size, the tissues within them become necrotic and crumble, resulting inholes in the cabbage leaves
Holes on cabbage caused by disease - black cruciferous
Fig. Seemadua, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
We can prevent this cabbage disease bycarefully collecting cabbage leftovers, because it is on harvest residues that the fungus hibernates to attack again next year.It is also extremely important to alternate and avoid growing cabbage in the same row for the next 3-4 years and to dress the cabbage seeds before sowing (you can season them ecologically by soaking them for 15 minutes in chamomile infusion).
For spraying cabbage against cruciferous blackness, fungicidesare used, such as: Amistar 250 SC, Scorpion 325 SC, Signum 33 WG and Topsin M 500 SC. The choice of fungicides to fight this cabbage disease is therefore quite large.
