Eaten Damaged Leaves - do you leave them or cut them off?

I'm not sure if there is a post already in the forum on this subject - the search feature didnt work for me.

When I find a badly damaged leaf on my brugs (holes from being eaten) - do you keep them on the plant or remove them? If you remove them, how does it affect the plant? Should you just leave it on in order for the plant to grow properly?

I hope I am making sense - I know you are suppose to remove the spent flowers - but not sure about bad leaves :) I also go ahead and remove any leaf that has turned yellow, which I sometimes get.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated

Sherri

You can leave them or cut them, whichever you prefer. Leaving a chewed leaf mars the plant's appearance, but like the leaves shown in your picture, they are still performing their job of feeding the plant (actually, providing the energy to convert nutrients taken in by the roots to food - or something like that - but anyway...).

You can actually de-leaf an entire brug plant (if necessary) without doing any lasting damage to the plant, unless it's continually de-leafed over a long period of time.

Thank you very much. That's what I thought, but I wanted to make sure. That photo was taken almost a year ago and its now twice the size. It almost died over the winter but it came back and its on its second flush (yippee). I dont know which one it is - but it is very hardy. I would like to cut off the really bad leaves. But I get scared taking off too many.

Thanks again

Sherri

May I ask what is the cause and what is the remedy? I'm new to Brugs and I am having the same problem especially with my Daturas?

One of my brugs is in a very windy area next to a concrete fountain wall, and the leaves get shredded regularly. Right now, being early summer, it's pumping out so many new leaves that I can clip off the damaged ones if I want, or wait for them to drop off as new ones take their place.

I have been reading this website and studying so much, but I havent quite figured out what is causing the holes.

I think it is a combination. Snails, earwigs ? I have seen strange insects, but dont know what they are and not sure if they are actually eating the leaves. I do know I have snails. I just started using Diatemaceous Earth - that is suppose to help with snails and slugs. I am thinking about getting Neem Oil for the insects. I am researching all the various types of systemic killers, I want to make sure I get something that isnt harmful to pets. I have three dogs and would shoot myself if I caused them any harm.

I dont know exactly where it is located - but I think there is a post somewhere that talks about all the critters/insects, etc. that eat our poor brugs.

Sherri

Be careful where and how you use diawhatchamacallit earth. It's non-partial and kills beneficial critters, too (like earthworms).

As for systemics, I've used Orthonex and it worked great for spider mites. Knocked'em cold for the rest of the year. And it's a lot cheaper than some of the other good varieties ($19.99 for a smallish concentrated bottle that makes a number of gallons).

I have found that if the holes are mostly on the lower leaves, especially if you check in the morning and see slime.. it's snails/slugs. They can slither up over 6' so height is not an issue! LOL
If the new growth has tiny holes, they will get huge when the leaves mature, and it's more than likely either earwigs or caterpillars. Moths & butterflies are the culprits for the cats... the tiny eggs are hard to see till the cats are fat and puffy and it's too late for the leaves by then. BT is the caterpillar killer that is safe.
Kell gave us a link in another post all about BT and how it works. Great stuff.. just gotta be patient if you already have swiss cheese leaves.. it takes a few days for the cats to completely dissapear.



I copied the info:

What is Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)?

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Bacillus thuringiensis, usually referred to as "Bt" (pronounced “bee-tee”), is a naturally occurring bacterium that is lethal to most leaf-eating caterpillars on trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables.

Bacillus thuringiensis variety kurstaki (B.t.k.) is the general purpose material that homeowners buy when they see just the words Bt or Bacillus thuringiensis without the variety name attached. This is the type of Bt that is appropriate for home landscape use to kill caterpillars. As you can see on the left, there are also varieties designed to kill mosquitoes or potato beetles.

Bt is harmless to all other insects, animals, and humans. It comes in powder form for use as a dust or, diluted with water, for use as a foliar spray. It is also available in liquid form. It is sprayed or dusted on leaves of plants that are under attack by caterpillars so that the pests will ingest the bacteria as they eat the leaves. The Bt causes paralysis of the caterpillar's digestive tract, causing it to stop feeding within two hours. Within a day or two, certainly no longer than 72 hours, the caterpillars die.

I am getting holes too I noticed yesterday. I get snails but usually they leave the slime trail so I can tell if it is them. I get cats too and look for their litte doo they leave on the leaf. Yesterday I killed 2 cucumber beetles so they are about to attack too. They will eat the leaves and the flowers, OF EVERYTHING!! Boy, they are horrid little things for being so cute.

Wonderful information - thank you for sharing. Especially warning me about the Diatemaceous Earth - I didnt realize it could kill the good guys.

Sherri