I have started growing vegetables this year for the first time. Everything was going great until I noticed lots of small holes in my swede and cabbages. On closer inspection I noticed some beetle like pests on them so I looked on the internet and thought that they may be flea beetles, except they are not shiny, they are very dull looking and they don't jump. they actually curl up when disturbed and drop off the leaf.
Can anyone help me and let me know if these are flea beetles or something else. Also is there any way I can get rid of them organically, as they are ruining my vegetables.
Any help would be much appreciated.
I have the same problem, asked around my allotment and everyone advised me on Derris powder, its supposed to be organic, it's hard to find though, but found some in my local hardware store. let me know if you cant get hold of some and i'll send some for you.
Sounds like flea beetle to me and yes, derris is the best thing for it. Not widely available in garden centres but most of the major catalogues sell it. The Organic Gardening Catelogue certainly does.
Derris is being taken off the market on 10 October 2008 and amateur growers have until 10 October 2009 to use up their stocks. That's why it's making an appearance in pound shops, I think.
I hadn't heard that - any idea why? I'd better start stocking up.
The manufacturers decided not to work through the authorisation process that EC regulations required them to in order to stay on the market.
Watch out for the shed police come Oct 2009!