What's eating my turnip 'hakurei'?

Turnip 'Hakurei' is a delicate Japanese salad turnip with thin, sweet roots — making it highly attractive to slugs, flea beetles, and cabbage root fly. Its mild flavor also appeals to rabbits. Because 'Hakurei' is typically harvested young and raw, protecting it from slug and root fly damage early is critical.

Shot-hole damage across seedling leaves; heavy attack can decimate seedlings before they establish. Grow under fine insect mesh from sowing. Keep soil well-watered so plants grow through damage quickly. Spinosad spray for serious infestations.

Surface gouging and tunneling into the young white roots; seedlings severed at ground level. Apply iron phosphate pellets around rows. Harvest young roots promptly — leaving them in the ground longer increases slug exposure.

White maggots tunnel into the delicate roots; plants collapse; roots are rendered inedible. Fit brassica root collars at planting. Insect-proof mesh is the most reliable exclusion method.