What's eating my turnip?

Turnips belong to the brassica family and share its pest complex. Flea beetles are the number-one threat to seedlings, riddling young leaves overnight. Cabbage root fly larvae damage roots, and aphids colonize leafy tops. Cabbage white caterpillars also eat the foliage. Row covers from sowing provide reliable broad-spectrum protection.

Tiny round holes in seedling leaves; heavy infestations can collapse entire seedling rows within days. Apply fine-mesh row cover from sowing; use kaolin clay on emerging leaves; sow when soil is warm so seedlings establish fast.

Larvae tunnel through roots and the root-stem junction, causing wilting and poor rooting; roots become unmarketable. Place brassica collars around each stem base at transplanting; use row cover to prevent egg-laying; rotate crops.

Dense waxy gray colonies on leaves and in heart of the plant; leaf curl and stunting in heavy attacks. Spray with insecticidal soap or neem; encourage parasitic wasps; remove badly infested plants to stop spread.

Caterpillars chew large, irregular holes in leaves; frass soils remaining foliage. Inspect under leaves for eggs and young caterpillars; apply Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis); use row covers to exclude butterflies.