Turnips and Flea-beetles

[thomasb]

Hi All,
I sowed turnips under fine mesh on 14th April to protect them from flea-beetle, as last year they were badly eaten. Well they have grown very well and in the whole look very clean with minimum signes of any holes in the leaves.  I would expect to be picking turnips within about a month.
So my question is does one need to leave the mesh over the turnips until you pull them? I read somewhere, cannot remember when now, that unlike covering carrots against carrot-fly turnips are at most risk when they are very small and that you can take the mesh off after a number of weeks.
I would like to use the mesh over a row of Romanesco-cauliflowers as it is recommended that you sow direct and do not transplant.
Therefore, advise on whether it is safe to uncover the turnips would be welcome.

Thanks,
Thomas

[thomasb]

[chriszog]

Yes you can remove it now it is the seedlings that suffer once they have a few true leaves any problem that the flea beetle may cause the plant can handle as it is larger and stronger.

[TEL]

if you keep the soil moist around the Base of the plants this will help keep the little buggers of

[Mrs Ava]

GRRR...flea beetles are a real pain on my plot and I'm afraid I end up dusting with a little Derris powder.  My fleece is all used up on my carrots.  I am hoping to only dust a couple of times and then, once the plants are more butch, they will cope with the flea beetles!

[thomasb]

Thanks for the info...

Thomas

[jonny211]

I think I've had my first encounter with these beasties (this is my first attempt to grow veggies), are they a kind-of shiny green/purple thing?

If so I hold them responsible for the holes in my calabrese and can they be prevented from doing any more damage?

Jon

[saddad]

That looks and sounds like them, but the Flea name is the final test, do they jump out of the way when you approach them!
???

[Mrs Ava]

Glad to report that now my turnips have put on lots of growth they are shrugging off the flea beetle attack.   The same cannot be said for the radish who really suffer from these little beasties!  I think the only way to prevent them doing damage is to fleece the bed before germination - if you fleece once the plants are through, you will only trap them inside!  As I said, I dust very lightly with Derris powder and a couple of light dustings seemed to do the trick.