Most Common Cauliflower Pests & Diseases
You want to know how to control cauliflower pests and diseases in your garden?
Stick with me since I will show you easy ways how to get rid of cauliflower plant diseases and pests in the following chapters.
Cauliflower Pests
| Pest | How to control it |
|---|---|
| Flea beetles | If cauliflower is contaminated by flea beetles, you will see small holes in the leaves. You can get rid of flea beetles by using kieselgur or neem oil. |
| Cabbage worms | Cabbage worms are quite common when growing cauliflower. You can use insecticidal soap to get rid of cabbage worms. |
| Slugs and snails | Slugs may also try to feed on cauliflower. Thus, make sure to install a slug fence to keep away slugs and also get additional information on how to get rid of slugs in your garden. |
| Maggots | Maggots may destroy cauliflower yields. Hence, make sure to inform yourself on how to get rid of maggots. |
| Aphids | Aphids are quite common on cauliflower and many other garden plants. Thus, make sure to get some information on how to control aphids. |
| Harlequin bug | Harlequin bugs may also try to feed on cauliflower. You can get rid of harlequin bugs by using diatomite or insecticidal soap. |
| Webworms | Webworms are also quite common when growing cauliflower. Fortunately, it is easy to deter webworms by spraying neem oil onto your plants or using insecticidal soap. |
| Loopers | Loopers can do great damage to your plants. Make sure to learn more about how to get rid of loopers and caterpillars. |
| Armyworm | Armyworms have become a serious problem when growing cauliflower. You can control armyworms by using insecticidal soap or chemical pesticides. |
| Cutworm | Cutworms can do great damage to cauliflower plants. Hence, make sure to inform yourself on how to get rid of cutworms. |
| Moths | Moths may also populate cauliflower plants. You can get rid of moths by using chemical pesticides you can get from the garden center. |
| Nematodes | Nematodes may also try to feed on cauliflower. You can control nematodes by using insecticidal soap. |
| Thrips | Thrips can be annoying little companions when growing cauliflower. Fortunately, it is pretty easy to get rid of thrips. |
Cauliflower Diseases
| Disease | How to control it |
|---|---|
| Blackleg | Blackleg is a fungal disease that may cause cauliflower plants to decay. You can treat blackleg by treating seeds with hot water so that fungi may vanish. |
| Bacterial soft rot | Soft rot can destroy your cauliflower yields. You can control soft rot by making sure that water can run off properly and that you provide high-quality soil for your plants. |
| Clubroot | Yellow and wilting leaves can be a sign of clubroot. You can treat clubroot by using a suitable fungicide from the garden center. |
| Downy mildew | Downy mildew is a quite common disease when it comes to planting cauliflower. You can get rid of it by using fungicides while spraying acid on the leaves of your plants may help as well. |
| Powdery mildew | Similar to downy mildew, powdery mildew may also be an issue when growing cauliflower at home. Make sure to get some information on how to control powdery mildew. |
| Black rot | Black rot causes yellow lesions on leaves. Once it is present, you should remove infested plants to avoid the spread of black rot in your garden. |
| Rust | Rust is quite common on cauliflower plants. Hence, make sure to get tips on how to get rid of rust on your plants. |
| Mold | Mold is a pretty common issue when planting cauliflower. You can get rid of it by watering your plants less often and you can also get additional tips and tricks on how to control plant mold. |
| Mosaic virus | Mosaic virus can’t be treated properly once it is present. Hence, make sure to get rid of infected plants to prevent further spread of mosaic virus in your garden. |
| Damping-off | You can prevent damping-off of cauliflowers by providing optimal germination conditions and by using soil with the right pH. |
| Ringspot | Ringspot causes small purple spots on the leaves of cauliflower plants. You can control ring spot by using fungicides from the garden center. |
Cauliflower Diseases & Pests – Summary List
| Pests | Diseases |
|---|---|
| Thrips | Damping off |
| Moths | Mosaic virus |
| Nematodes | Ring spot |
| Flea beetles | Black rot |
| Harlequin bug | Plant rust |
| Cutworms | Mold |
| Armyworms | Powdery mildew |
| Webworms | Downy mildew |
| Loopers | Clubroot |
| Cabbage worms | Blackleg |
| Aphids | Bacterial soft rot |
| Maggots | |
| Slugs |
How to deal with Cauliflower Pests & Diseases?
As you can see, there are many simple ways how to control cauliflower pests and plant diseases.
If you want to know more about growing cauliflower in general, make sure to also have a look at my growing cauliflower FAQ section and on my cauliflower grower’s guide.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauliflower
Own experience.
