ROCKET AND THE FLEA BEETLE

[Duke Ellington]

 My last sowing of rocket (July) was totally ruined by the presence of flea beetle. I had them covered with debris netting but it obviously wasn't good enough. Apart from using enviromesh does anyone have any tips on how to prevent flea beetle eating my Rocket. ???

Duke

[Duke Ellington]

[pigeonseed]

No - I've had terrible problems as well! I've heard they're a particular problem in hot dry weather.

I think they could be hatching in the ground near the plants, that's what I'd always assumed. So maybe they're under the netting - plus they're really small, so I don't know how fine debris netting is, but 
they'll get through most netting I should think.

If your plants are more hole than leaf - try sticky traps??

Plus maybe might possibly work to keep area weed free all winter and spring, so they have nowhere to live, and plant out large seedlings in spring.

But that's easier said than done!

[small]

I had dreadful trouble earlier in the year, my July sown crop was holed as soon as germinated, but I just left them and they have grown on into beautiful plants - the beetles seem to have just vanished from my plot, is there maybe some predator? I didn't even bother to cover them and certainly haven't sprayed.

[galina]

Rocket is a magnet for fleabeetles.  I cloche or fleece, although they get underneath cloches as well, probably because they are already there.