What's eating my violetto artichoke?

Globe artichokes including Violetto are targeted by aphids massing on developing buds and stems, black bean aphids in particular. Artichoke plume moths tunnel into stems and heads. Slugs damage young plants in spring. Earwigs shelter inside heads. Aphid control on the buds is the priority to protect the edible harvest.

Dense colonies on stem undersides and inside forming buds; sticky honeydew promotes sooty mold; distorted developing heads. Blast off with water; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil directly to colonies; encourage beneficial predators such as ladybugs and hoverflies.

Larvae tunnel into stalks and developing buds, causing wilting and direct damage to the edible portion. Remove and destroy infested stems; apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to young larvae; use row cover to prevent adult egg-laying.

Young leaves and emerging growth eaten to stubs; most damaging to newly planted artichokes in their first spring. Iron phosphate pellets around the plant base; use gritty mulch; hand-collect at night during wet periods.

Shelter and feed inside developing heads, causing surface damage; also chew ragged holes in young leaves overnight. Trap in damp newspaper rolls or corrugated cardboard tubes placed near plants; shake out and destroy each morning.