Reading pest damage before it spreads
Diagnose the most common vegetable pests from the marks they leave, and respond proportionately.
12 min · intermediate
You will learn
- Identify common pests from damage patterns
- Scout on a schedule that catches problems early
- Choose the least disruptive effective response
Holes tell stories
Big ragged holes from the leaf edge inward usually mean caterpillars or slugs. Tiny round shotgun holes point to flea beetles. Winding pale tunnels inside the leaf are leafminers. Check undersides: clusters of soft bodies are aphids, fine webbing means spider mites.
Five minutes of scouting
Walk the garden every few days and turn over a handful of leaves. Most infestations are easy to stop in week one and hard in week three. Farmur schedules a recurring inspection task for each planting during its vulnerable stages.
Match the response to the pest
Hand-pick caterpillars and drop them in soapy water. Blast aphids with a hose and let lady beetles finish the job. Row cover stops flea beetles on young brassicas. Reach for sprays last, and choose targeted ones; broad insecticides take out the predators doing free work for you.
Healthy plants shrug off more
Stressed plants emit signals pests home in on. Consistent watering, decent spacing, and airflow do more for pest control than any product. A plant growing fast can outpace moderate nibbling.