Sorry - but floating row covers are by far the best & safest way to go. Especially for crops that don't require uncovering for pollination. I use them on everything with terrific success.

That said, your radishes are probably being eaten by Flea Beetles, which you can help to eradicate with Safer Insecticidal Soap.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOH...

You can try insecticidal soap
Or handpicking

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Benificial insects
Intercropping

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Resistant species
Crop rotating

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Chorus-
Because I don't want to use floating row covers

Thank you, good night!

Try the veal,
Ken

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm always going through my schpiel and end with 'I'll be here through Sunday. Be sure to try the veal!'

OK floating row people: I get it. Question in regards to cole crops: do you just leave the cover on the entire time, and make like a little tent for them to grow up in, like camp?

Hey there,

That is exactly what I did, and it worked great. I used the 8 gauge wire used to tie together chain link fences as the frame of my tent, then placed the fabric on that. I used 2"X2"s to hold the fabric on the ground (like a paper weight). The overall measurements of my tents were 48"x48"x36" and 48"x96"x36", depending on where it was in the garden. Once I built these tents, I didn't have problems with root maggots, white flies, or anything else that destroyed my brassicas on a regular basis. It was nice to see all the seedlings I planted actually mature...and get eaten by my family.

BTW, when you put down the cover, be sure there are no insects on the plants already. Otherwise, when you go to see how things are progressing...

Fun n' stuff,
Ken

The most common insect pests or radishes is aphids or flea beetles. Aphids are easily controlled by knocking them off the plant with a sharp water stream. Flea beetles take a bit more and you can start with sticky traps to catch the adults as they jump up when disturbed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Flea beetles

I don't even bother with supports for the row covers. I just make sure to cut the pieces large enough to expand enough to loosely cover the expected mature size of the plants. I weight down the edges with metal pins, bricks, rocks - whatever's handy. With the hot summer temps here, I buy the lightest weight possible - I think they called it "insect weight", as it doesn't really afford much frost protection. Except for crops that require pollination, I leave everything else covered 24/7 until harvest time, except for minor weeding. Plenty of water, air, & sunlight pass right thru, & the plants don't cook in our 90+ degree summer temps.

I bought my row cover material from the "Gardens Alive" website (I love their stuff). Even though they claim that the really lightweight covers only last a season or 2, mine is already on Season #3, & one piece that accidentally got left out in the garden over the winter is STILL usable.