Kale

Question

I have been growing my first herb/veggie garden in raised beds this year and went to harvest some of my kale and it looks like this, just on the one purple plant underneath. Is it rotten?

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Answer 1

This looks like a heavy aphid infestation (Mealy Cabbage Aphid most likely), including both the live bugs and their shed exoskeletons. Remove any leaves where you see them and discard far away from the garden. Here are some articles on getting rid of aphids:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/homemade-aphid-control.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/woolly-aphid-control.htm