Kale – Pests & Diseases

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AI Farming

October 19, 2023

Kale - Pests & Diseases

Aphids:

  • Type: Insect
  • Symptoms: Misshapen or yellow leaves, sticky “honeydew” (excrement), and sooty, black mold.
  • Control/Prevention: Grow companion plants, use water spray to knock off aphids, apply insecticidal soap, place banana or orange peels around plants, wipe leaves with a 1 to 2 percent solution of dish soap and water every 2 to 3 days for 2 weeks, and introduce native plants to attract beneficial insects.

Black rot:

  • Type: Fungus
  • Symptoms: Yellow, V-shaped areas on leaf edges that brown and progress toward the leaf center, eventual leaf collapse, and blackened veins visible in stem cross sections.
  • Control/Prevention: Remove infected plants, select resistant varieties, ensure good drainage, eliminate plant debris, and practice crop rotation.

Cabbageworms:

  • Type: Insect
  • Symptoms: Leaves with large, ragged holes or are skeletonized, bored heads, dark green excrement, and yellowish eggs laid singly on leaf undersides.
  • Control/Prevention: Handpick affected leaves, use row covers, incorporate companion plants to attract beneficial insects, consider planting thyme as a companion, and use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray.

Flea beetles:

  • Type: Insect
  • Symptoms: Numerous tiny holes in leaves.
  • Control/Prevention: Use row covers, apply heavy mulching, and introduce native plants to encourage the presence of beneficial insects.
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