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Hardening off cabbage looks like disease #744458

Asked April 15, 2021, 11:58 AM EDT

I have been hardening off my cabbage seedlings this week and just noticed this on only 1 of the leaves. Any idea what happened?

Oakland County Michigan

Expert Response

Alis, thanks for the question. 

Looking at the leaf the whitish areas seem to have little elongated bumps.  This may be leaf miners.  Have you noticed any small flies around your plants?  Take a look with a magnifying glass or magnifier app on a smartphone. You may see a small larvae in the leaf spots feeding inside the leaf. It is curious that normally you will see serpentine tunnels instead of blister like spots. Check out the following link:

Let me know what you find.

An Ask Extension Expert Replied April 15, 2021, 7:40 PM EDT
I looked and didn’t see anything. I sent the same thing to burpee and they thought it might be flea beetles. 
I guess at this point I haven’t planted them in the garden yet and I have a connected tray of cabbage and cauliflower seedlings—should I still plant these in the garden this weekend?
What can I use to get did of this/prevent it?
Thank you!
Alis Manoogian 

On Apr 15, 2021, at 7:40 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:


The Question Asker Replied April 15, 2021, 8:52 PM EDT

Flea beetles make sense.  In many cases flea beetles chew through the leaf but with the thicker leaf of cabbage not necessarily. These critters overwinter in plant debris so fall cleanup is important.  Check out the following links for details for controlling these pests.

I hope this is helpful.

An Ask Extension Expert Replied April 15, 2021, 9:59 PM EDT

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