Knowledgebase
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.
Thank you!
Alis Manoogian
On Apr 15, 2021, at 7:40 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
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.
- https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/flea-beetles-5-592/
- https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/flea-beetles
- https://vegento.russell.wisc.edu/pests/flea-beetles/
I hope this is helpful.