What's eating my pak choi 'feng qing'?

'Feng Qing' pak choi faces the same brassica pest complex as other Brassica rapa varieties: flea beetles attacking seedlings, caterpillars eating mature leaves, aphids fouling growing tips, and slugs targeting young plants. As a fast-maturing variety, getting plants through the seedling stage is the critical window.

Numerous small round holes peppering young leaves; heavy attacks on seedlings can kill plants before they establish. Cover with insect-proof mesh from sowing; delay transplanting until plants have 3–4 true leaves; water well to reduce stress; use yellow sticky traps to monitor.

Irregular leaf holes with visible frass; larvae hide in leaf folds and near the stem base. Inspect plants twice weekly; remove eggs and larvae by hand; apply Btk spray; use exclusion netting as the primary defence.

Mealy blue-grey clusters distorting tips; stunted plants; honeydew and sooty mould. Knock off with water jet; insecticidal soap spray; encourage aphid predators; remove infested shoot tips.

Ragged holes and slime trails, particularly at the base of leaves and stems. Iron phosphate pellets; beer traps; hand-pick at night; gritty mulch around plants.