What's eating my oak leaf lettuce?

Oak Leaf lettuce is a loose-leaf variety that is fast-growing but highly attractive to slugs, which exploit the open leaf structure. Aphids colonise the growing tip quickly in warm weather. Its open habit also makes it accessible to caterpillars and earwigs. Deer and rabbits will take whole plants overnight if the garden is unfenced.

Large irregular holes through leaves; plants eaten to stem; slime trails left on foliage and soil. Iron phosphate pellets; beer traps; gritty or dry mulch around plants; hand-pick at night with a torch.

Colonies at the growing tip; honeydew; leaves curl and new growth is distorted or stunted. Water blast; neem oil or insecticidal soap; plant nasturtiums nearby to attract aphid predators.

Holes and notches in leaves; frass visible on remaining foliage; rapid defoliation on small plants. Check undersides of leaves for eggs; hand-remove caterpillars; Bt spray; cover with insect mesh netting.

Entire plants grazed flush with the soil; clean-cut stems at multiple heights (deer higher, rabbits lower). Fine mesh perimeter barrier 60–90 cm high; deer stakes around vulnerable beds; harvest outer leaves regularly to reduce palatability window.