We all look forward to those early planted spring greens when we no longer have to rely on the well-traveled produce found at the local grocery store. And while many of the early crops, such as lettuce, kale, and spinach, are relatively low maintenance, there are still pests that like to take advantage of the new growth, as well as a few problems you need to consider when starting your garden.

Damping off

If your seedlings simply wilt over and die, there’s a good chance you can have an issue with damping off, a soil-borne fungal disease that affects young plants. When you start plants indoors, always use new planting mix and fertilize to ensure it doesn’t have the disease within the soil. If you’ve had an issue with this during outdoor planting, the best bet is to make sure the plants have inches of space between them to maintain adequate air circulation.

Hole-y greens

These are not sacred plants, they’re simply full of holes. If you go from beautiful specimens to having leaves with rather large (bigger than a pencil eraser) holes in them or ragged edges, you most likely have slugs or snails. You can sprinkle on diatomaceous earth since the sharp, although microscopic, exoskeletons destroy the soft exterior of the slugs and snails. You do need to re-sprinkle it after a rain or watering. Baiting with beer-filled tuna fish cans is another common way to coax the slugs from your plants to their boozy demise.

Aphids

Although they’re not as prominent early in the season when you can grow greens without much pest pressure, aphids still can be an issue. Usually rinsing them and squishing them as you go takes care of the bulk of the problem. But if you have to step it up, use an organic insecticidal soap to eradicate them.

Jumping pests

Flea beetles love spinach and especially cole crops for some reason. While they are difficult to spot since they jump away so quickly, the evidence of their presence is easy to identify. If your leaves look like a mouse took a shotgun and blasted holes in it, you have flea beetles. If flea beetles are a common problem in your area, think about planting a trap crop, such as radishes or mustard greens, next to your desirable varieties. The thought is they will choose these scrumptious plants over the ones you want to eat. If you have them and you need them to leave, use Spinosad or permethrin based sprays.

Freezing

Even though lettuce and spinach are really tough when it comes to the early spring weather, they still will freeze. The easiest way to prevent frostbite, is to use a floating row cover over the bed if the risk of dropping below 30 degrees is imminent. You can also pile straw on top of them for the same effect.

There’s nothing like those first harvests of the year even if it’s a few, fresh green leaves of spinach or lettuce. Planting early minimizes the pests, but as the spring time progresses keep your eyes open to keep your crops problem free.