Radish Pests And Diseases

Radishes are usually free of pests and diseases because they grow so quickly but there are times when some pests can destroy the crop.

Flea beetle is very small insect which bores into the young plants and can cause problems. It usually occurs in smaller plants and often because the plants have been allowed to dry out. The cure is to keep the plants moist and dust them with an insecticide, remove any affected plants.

Cabbage root fly can cause problems and if it is found in the plants the crop should be removed and destroyed at once. The cabbage root fly drills into the plant at the top of the radish and it will wither and die. Do not plant the crop in this area for 3 years at least or plant any brassica’s. The only way to stop the fly getting onto a brassica is to put a collar of 5 cm diameter on the soil around the plant, this is not really possible for the radish. It may be possible to plant them under fleece but as the cabbage root fly winters in the soil there may still be bugs in the soil that will fly again in spring and lay their larvae in the plants.

For more information learn about How To Grow Radishes

By Richard Allen -