Hon Tsai Tai

Pests & beneficial insects

🐛 Prone to: Flea beetles

Flea beetles

Chrysomelidae (Alticini)

Shot-holes in seedling leaves, and a beetle that jumps when you lean in.

, Aphids

Aphids

Aphididae

Curled leaves, sticky honeydew and ants on patrol — usually with something already eating them.

, Caterpillars

Caterpillars

Lepidoptera larvae

Holes, droppings, and a pest you can simply pick off by hand.

, Cutworms

Cutworms

Noctuidae

A seedling lying beside its own stump in the morning, cut clean through at soil level.

.

Attract Ground beetles

Ground beetles

Carabidae

Night-active ground hunters, taking slugs, cutworms and leatherjackets at soil level.

, Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Braconidae, Ichneumonidae and relatives

Pinhead-sized, stingless, and lethal to aphids and caterpillars from the inside.

, Hoverflies

Hoverflies

Syrphidae

The adults only drink nectar. It is the larvae that eat the aphids.

,

to keep them in check — plant nearby.

🌼 Beneficial companion — draws Hoverflies

Hoverflies

Syrphidae

The adults only drink nectar. It is the larvae that eat the aphids.

, Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Braconidae, Ichneumonidae and relatives

Pinhead-sized, stingless, and lethal to aphids and caterpillars from the inside.

that help control Aphids

Aphids

Aphididae

Curled leaves, sticky honeydew and ants on patrol — usually with something already eating them.

,

on neighbouring plants.

Growing from seed

Direct-sow Hon Tsai Tai outdoors about 2 weeks before your last frost, keeping seeds in cooler soil (around 10–18 °C). Seeds usually come up in around 7 days. Grow in partial sun, spaced about 20 cm apart. Expect to harvest in roughly 45 days.

Hon Tsai Tai seed rarely stays viable beyond 3 years — track what's still worth sowing.

Companion Planting

• 
  Blue Sage
  

  Blue SageExcellent pair

  • ❧Blue Sage attracts Parasitic wasps and Hoverflies, which prey on the Flea beetles and Aphids and more that attack Hon Tsai Tai
  • ❧Blue Sage roots deep while Hon Tsai Tai feeds near the surface — no competition
  • ❧Hon Tsai Tai acts as living mulch, keeping soil moist and weeds down around Blue Sage
• 
  Chaytor's Lavender
  

  Chaytor's LavenderExcellent pair

  • ❧Chaytor's Lavender attracts Parasitic wasps and Hoverflies, which prey on the Flea beetles and Aphids and more that attack Hon Tsai Tai
  • ❧Hon Tsai Tai draws Bees and Butterflies that improve pollination for both
  • ❧Chaytor's Lavender roots deep while Hon Tsai Tai feeds near the surface — no competition
• 
  Cleveland Sage
  

  Cleveland SageExcellent pair

  • ❧Cleveland Sage attracts Parasitic wasps and Hoverflies, which prey on the Flea beetles and Aphids and more that attack Hon Tsai Tai
  • ❧Cleveland Sage roots deep while Hon Tsai Tai feeds near the surface — no competition
  • ❧Hon Tsai Tai acts as living mulch, keeping soil moist and weeds down around Cleveland Sage

How to grow Hon Tsai Tai

1. Sow-2 weeks from frost
2. Germinates7 days
3. Space20 cm apart
4. GrowPartial sun
5. Harvest~45 days

Water: Medium · Height: 40 cm · Soil: Moist, fertile, well-draining