What pests attack radish?

Cabbage root fly, Cabbage white caterpillars, Flea beetles, Leaf Miner, Wireworms

What diseases affect radish?

Bacterial soft rot, Clubroot, White mould (Sclerotinia), Common scab

Radish pests and diseases: how to recognise them

Q: Which radish problems need quick action?

Bacterial soft rot: Small water-soaked spots that quickly enlarge, sink and turn soft and mushy; the tissue underneath is cream to black. Clubroot: Roots massively swollen and distorted into clubs, with few fine roots left. White mould (Sclerotinia): A soft, wet rot on stems, often near soil level; plants suddenly turn yellow, wilt and collapse.

Raphanus sativus

The pests, diseases and disorders recorded for radish in our library, each with a photo and its first symptom. Every page has the full list of symptoms, organic and chemical treatment and prevention.

At a glance

Problems in total	9
Pests	5
Diseases	4
Need quick action	3

How to grow radish · All pests and diseases

Pests

Cabbage root flyBrassicas grow poorly, wilt and may die, especially recent transplants in early summer.Also called: cabbage maggot, cabbage flyPhoto: James K. Lindsey, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Cabbage white caterpillarsHoles eaten in the outer leaves of brassicas; caterpillars and their droppings on the plants.Also called: large white, cabbage butterflyPhoto: Schlaghecken Josef, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Flea beetlesMany tiny round pits and holes in the leaves (a shot-hole look); the pits often do not go right through and dry pale brown.Photo: Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth!, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Leaf MinerSmall pale dots on the upper leaf surface where adult female flies have punctured the leaf to feed.Photo: Flowersabc, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
WirewormsNarrow tunnels straight through potatoes and other root crops, entered by round holes about 3 mm across, as if made by a nail; slugs instead leave larger cavities.Photo: Alton N. Sparks, Jr., University of Georgia, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Diseases

Which radish problems need quick action?

These spread or do lasting harm fast; check the plants and start treatment the day you see them.

Bacterial soft rot: Slimy ooze and a strong, foul smell from the rotting tissue.
Clubroot: Growth and yield are badly reduced, and severely affected plants may die.
White mould (Sclerotinia): Masses of fluffy white, cotton-like mould on the affected parts, especially in cool, damp weather.

Plants with many of the same problems

Which plants each problem affects: sources

The links between these problems and the plant were checked against these pages.