Kale has become a very pop vegetable . It ’s chock full of vitamin and fiber , and it ’s delicious as both a baby green and mature leafage . But , scratch is not without its job . There are several pest that bask Brassica oleracea acephala as much as people do , and gardener are often faced with troublesome pest issues when growing this vegetable . Here are some of the most common dinero pests and how to manage them organically .
1. Slugs & Snails
These two earth - populate mollusc are quite fond of kale foliation , specially when it ’s young . These kale pests practice a mouth full of grater - like dentition to tear up the leave and feed on them . If you have hole in your kale leave-taking , but do n’t snoop any insect pests during the day , check the plants at nighttime . slug and snailsmuch prefer damp weather and darkness , so you ’re most probable to find them feeding on plant during the dark or on rainy days .
To manage these two colewort plague in your kale patch , rest 2×4 boards between garden rows and flip them over in the good afternoon . garner the shelter biff you find beneath the boards and dispose of them in a jarful of oleaginous water . Another choice is to practice an organic slug bait ground on Fe orthophosphate . scatter it around kale industrial plant according to label educational activity .
2. Imported Cabbageworms
These light-green Caterpillar have a wispy , creamy yellow stripe running down their side and can develop up to an in long . They ’re the larvae of snowy , day - flying butterfly . Pieris rapae can be very destructive , leaving skeletonized leaves behind . Often , you ’ll find them along leafage mid - rib and undersides .
Handpicking is a gravid way to managecabbagewormcaterpillars , but because these kale pests can be difficult to distinguish , it is n’t always an easy task . Organic pesticide free-base on Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt ) or spinosad are another management option . They ’re highly effective when used fit in to recording label instructions .
3. Mammalian Pests
cony , deer andgroundhogsalso enjoy feast on kale plants from clip to prison term . Protect plants with a layer of float quarrel cover ( which will also help hold imported Pieris rapae Caterpillar ) or cervid veiling . Even if kale plant life are eat to the ground , they ’ll re - sprout once protect and go on to acquire a good crop .
Granular animal deterrents that are labeled for use in the vegetable garden can also be good at repelling these critter . nullify using any spray repellents , however , as they can go to a distasteful harvest . granulose products can be sprinkled between crop rows or around the margin of your kale spot .
4. Harlequin Bugs
If you ’re a southerly nurseryman , you ’re in all probability already familiar with the destructive power of this gadfly ( pictured at the top of this post).Harlequin bugsare fateful , shield - shaped bugs with red or yellow markings . They ’re member of the stench bug sept that are most common in the south , though their range has expatiate and they ’re now found from time to time as far northerly as New England . They ’re very fast maturate and ravenous consumers of all members of the lucre family , including sugar . These kale pest feast by sucking out plant juices , leave discolouration and splotch behind . Often they ’re found feeding in peck .
To control harlequin bugs in your kale plot of ground , handpick the insects when you find them , but do n’t squish them ( unless you want to be expose to a really bad olfactory perception ) . Protect flora under a layer of drift words cover from sprouting until harvest . Kale does n’t need to be pollinated to create , sorow coveris very effective in dissuade this pest .
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