Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

What’s eating my rocket?

Collapse

X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • What’s eating my rocket?

    Fed up with this .
    My rocket leaves look like a lace tablecloth!
    Other half sprayed it several times with something noxious that makes me never fancy it (even though it says it is apparently “safe” if I leave it for three days before picking).
    Almost ready to give up and stick to yummy nasturtium leaves that are just as peppery and trouble free.
    any ideas for my next sowing if rocket or is it a lost cause???

  • #2
    Some of my peppers have a similar look to the leaves, this warm weather seems to be stressing the plants and leaving them vulnerable to attack, I don't like rocket, so I'd go for the lost cause and compost it and grow some watercress, much nicer flavour I think.

    Comment


    • #3
      It's flea beetle. My swede seedlings are getting demolished by them this year. They attack all brassicas, but seedlings and soft-leaved brassicas are worst affected.
      Spraying will work, but you need to hit the beetles directly, which means sneaking up on them, as they will hop away (hence the "flea") as soon as they sense danger.
      Personally, I wouldn't bother, though. Not for rocket.

      If you want to protect a future sowing from flea beetles, you need to grow them under fleece or insect mesh (needs to be the proper stuff - scaffold debris netting or net curtains aren't fine enough, and the tiny beetles will get in the holes), and the fleece or mesh needs to be well secured all the way around, so the beetles can't get in underneath.
      This also needs to be done on ground which hasn't had any brassicas grown on it this year, otherwise flea beetles will probably already be present, and you will only succeed in trapping them within the mesh.

      Comment


      • #4
        If you don't fancy netting or spraying rocket sow in early autumn or early spring and keep it well watered during dry spells.
        Location ... Nottingham

        Comment


        • #5
          Mmmm - sounds like far too much trouble to me.
          I’ll stick to nasturtiums and maybe give watercress a try.
          Though that sounds as if it could be even more difficult. I haven’t got a pond that could be put to use.
          thanks for all the replies and advice.

          Comment


          • #6
            I find flea beetles are worse at ground level,try some seeds about an inch apart in a pot on a table,sow once a month for continuous rocket,careful of cabbage whites though. I had some lovely rocket growing once on the table,it might’ve been on the chair but I was thinking I’ll eat that soon,caterpillars beat me to it.
            Location : Essex

            Comment

            Latest Topics

            Collapse

            Recent Blog Posts

            Collapse
            Working...
            X