What's eating my napa cabbage 'minuet'?

Napa Cabbage 'Minuet' — a compact, mini heading type — faces the same pests as full-size napa: diamondback moth, cabbage worms, aphids, and slugs. Its smaller size means fewer layers for pests to hide in, but heads can still be rendered inedible by aphid colonization or slug damage to the core.

Windowing and small holes in wrapper and inner leaves; heavy populations devastate the small heads quickly Bt-k every 7 days during warm weather; spinosad as resistance-management rotation; row cover is most effective prevention

Large holes chewed through outer leaves; caterpillars contaminate compact heads with frass Bt-k spray; hand removal of eggs (yellow oval, laid singly); row cover excludes the adult white butterfly

Overnight ragged feeding on outer leaves and head; slime trails visible at dawn; compact heads give slugs easy access to the core Iron phosphate bait; copper barrier tape on raised beds; evening hand-picking patrols

Powdery grey clusters between leaf layers; distorted heart leaves; makes heads inedible if unchecked Insecticidal soap; remove first-colonized plants quickly; beneficial insect habitat strips nearby