Post Punk Kitchen Forum

I went to pull up some radishes that looked like they were done, only to find that over half of them have been eaten by some sort of little white thing that looks like a grub or slug or some little maggot thing. They aren't rotten really except where the little mustards ate them, but I tried to cut off the bad part and saw some still alive in there, so now the radishes I did think were safe to eat will probably just get put in the compost. What are these things and should I pull up all the radishes and start over? Its no big deal if so, I planted some seeds in other places, but I want to prevent this from happening again.

The soil is well draining, its pretty sandy with compost mixed in and added to the top. The plot is partial sun. I don't know what other information would be helpful to figure this out, but let me know.

Well, I am trying a spray of cayenne pepper and garlic to see if that helps, since I read that this may be good to do. Anyone know if this is a bad idea before I go ahead? I'll let you know how it turns out if not.

I'm sorry I have no advice! Other than to say that I don't see why that spray would be bad. I use a garlic, mint spray to keep bugs away. I don't know if it works, but I don't really get bugs, so maybe? I don't know if it'll help to spray them, though, since the grubs are underground.

Since it is the roots that are affected, spraying probably won't do much good. Cabbage family members are susceptible to the cabbage maggot. It rarely kills ones with swollen roots - like radishes and turnips, but generally not much is salvageable. http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets ... aggot.html