Help! Leaf miners are attacking my chard. I have been removing the affected leaves but I can't get it under control. Anyone have advice for me?
leaf miners
Judi - here is some good info that I found a while ago while researching leaf miners...
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xdpy/kb/leafminer-control.html
Locakelly thank you for the info. That's pretty much what I have read on several different web sites. The chard is in a raised bed and I am thinking I might pull it all up, and start over. I used a load of new mushroom compost for planting and I wonder if that has anything to do with the situation. It's frustrating!
You're welcome...
It's a possibility that mature larvae overwintered in the soil (or the mushroom compost) and emerged in the spring. The adult fly actually injects the eggs just under the leaf surface so that when they hatch they are already "inside" the leaf and eat their way through it. If the plant is badly infested it might be a good idea to pull them and start over. However, if the plants are relatively healthy they will survive/outgrow the miners.
The plants are healthy and growing well. The leaves that are not affected are beautiful and strong. Maybe I will harvest a bunch to eat while they are still free of the darn pests!
You should be good to go! Keep those plants watered and fed and pick off the mined leaves and you should have chard for a good long while. I love chard myself!
No problem keeping them watered here in Oregon - lots of rain!
Hey, send some my way - lol... Can't you see I live in the desert here!
I have been to Portland for a meeting so was just in the hotel areas near the airport. Wish I would have had time to do some sightseeing... Looks like beautiful country and one to put on my list of places to explore...
I just discovered a bunch of leaf miners attacking my eggplants hardening off on the back porch... Where on Earth did they come from?! Quite annoying...
Locakelly, the airport is certainly not the greatest place! Though as far as airports go, it's a nice one. It's just not really Portland!