What's eating my radicchio 'rossa di verona'?

Radicchio 'Rossa di Verona' is most threatened by slugs and snails, which shred seedlings and outer leaves, especially in wet autumns. Aphids gather inside the tight round heads, and cutworms sever plants at soil level. Its compact heading habit makes damage inside the head especially frustrating to manage.

Holes and slime trails on outer leaves; seedlings destroyed at germination; damage continues as heads form in autumn. Iron phosphate pellets around plants; nightly hand-picking; reduce surface moisture by watering in the morning.

Dense colonies between inner leaves of forming heads; honeydew accumulation leads to sooty mould and makes heads unpalatable. Inspect and wash heads at harvest; encourage beneficial insects; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap to outer leaf surfaces.

Plants cut cleanly at or just below soil level; wilted, toppled plants with no visible above-ground pest present. Use physical collars (cardboard tubes) around transplant stems; cultivate soil around plants to expose and destroy larvae.