My very first time starting seeds cabbage disease

Madison

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These little black spots are killing my cabbages! What is it and how do I fix them??
 

ducks4you

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Do you keep any houseplants? I think that some pest that eats on houseplants is eating on your tender little sprouts! Get back to us. Several people here keep houseplants and can recommend a fix. Sorry, I only overwinter annuals, but I imagine insecticidal soap---NOT WATERED DOWN DAWN!!!!--could help. The Dawn will suffocate the leaves, so it isn't recommended.
 

flowerbug

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i'd not worry, that's not enough damage to kill them and once they're planted out they'll likely outgrow any minor imperfections like that.

could be flea beetles or several other things but i'm not sure without being there.

you may have to net the plants to keep the cabbage moths off them (the small white butterflies that are often around).
 

Madison

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Never saw such a thing. Are they outside where pests can get to them?
They are in the garage and I do leave the garage door open sometimes so possibly! There are a lot of moths and flying ants and flies flying around the lights
 

Madison

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Do you keep any houseplants? I think that some pest that eats on houseplants is eating on your tender little sprouts! Get back to us. Several people here keep houseplants and can recommend a fix. Sorry, I only overwinter annuals, but I imagine insecticidal soap---NOT WATERED DOWN DAWN!!!!--could help. The Dawn will suffocate the leaves, so it isn't recommended.
I do keep houseplants but I’ve never seen anything like this on any of my houseplants before
 

Madison

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i'd not worry, that's not enough damage to kill them and once they're planted out they'll likely outgrow any minor imperfections like that.

could be flea beetles or several other things but i'm not sure without being there.

you may have to net the plants to keep the cabbage moths off them (the small white butterflies that are often around).

Whatever it is has already killed 3 of my seedlings:hit
 

Ridgerunner

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Those tiny black spots are probably the poop from whatever is eating them. Can you see any caterpillars on them? There are several different caterpillars that can attack cabbage, most of them are green but at least one is a dark gray. Some are the larva of moths, some of butterflies. The problem with that being damage from these is that the life cycle is that the moth or butterfly lays the eggs and it takes a few days for them to hatch. Are those sprouts old enough for caterpillars to have hatched and caused that damage? Still, that looks like caterpillar damage to me so check closely.

Flowerbug, aren't those holes really big for flea beetles? The flea beetle damage I'm used to is more like lace, not big holes like that.

Luckily I haven't had that much experience with slugs. For those that have, could that be slug damage. If those tiny black spots are poop I think it is too small to be from slugs. I'd think the inside of the garage would be too dry for slugs anyway.

I can't come up with any flying insect that would make holes that look like that and have poop that small.

Madison, I can't remember where you said you are, if you did, and I'm too lazy to go check. Where are you, that might eliminate some things. If you modify your profile to show general location that information will always be available.
 

flowerbug

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@Madison sorry, whatever black spots are being mentioned i can't see any in your picture. my eyes aren't the best and i do wear glasses, but when i can see a plant in person i am near-sighted so i can take the glasses off and look close up or get a magnifier out.

@Ridgerunner if damage happens to a leaf as it is growing the hole can get bigger, but yes, perhaps it is something else. without being there and seeing what is going on can't say for sure. i do agree with you that knowing general location would help as there are no butterflies/moths out here yet (no skeeters or midges either :) )...
 

thejenx

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I also don't see black spots, I do see holes in the leafs where something has nibbled on them. Could be slug damage, and as mentioned above they will most likely recover from it once outside.
 

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