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What happened when I was away?

BerkleyBerkley Posts: 431

I usually have a lovely display of  erysimum, but came back from holiday yesterday to find many of them looking like this - loss of colour on leaves and numerous holes  what has happened - and what should I do?

 image

Posts

  • YviestevieYviestevie Posts: 7,066

    They are part of the brasica family and have been attacked by ??? cant remember the name now, mine look the same.  I'll remember it in a minute but by then someone will have answered I'm sure.

    Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
  • YviestevieYviestevie Posts: 7,066

    Think they are called flea beetles.

    Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    Looks like leaf miners Berkley although check for small caterpillars - there seem to be a lot about affecting erysimums this year.  Not much you can do other than cut back , scrape a layer of soil from beneath them (to remove any leaf miner pupae which drop once they have eaten their fill) and replace with a bit of compost etc and give them a feed.  Leaf miner damage looks bad but doesn't cause lasting effects.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • YviestevieYviestevie Posts: 7,066

    Think leaf miner damage tends to run in lines along the leaves rather than spot holes, but I might be wrong, I quite often am.

    Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
  • AuntyRachAuntyRach Posts: 5,290

    I had that on my yellow ones but not the purple! The yellow are a year younger suppose.

    My garden and I live in South Wales. 
  • Mark56Mark56 Posts: 1,653

    My Asters looked similar with leaf miner damage, however there wasn't so many holes only at the edges of entrance. Perhaps it's a combination of the two with caterpillars. Check thoroughly and whether you can see any tiny brown 'lumps' under the leaves e.g. tiny insects. 

    Last edited: 13 July 2016 21:48:40

  • ecokidecokid Posts: 138

    Sadly, my new erysimum plants  also look the same after a few weeks. I found tiny green 'caterpillars' on mine (check any remaining buds for the culprits), which leaves me to believe they're either larva of the angle shade moth or Sawfly. It's probably due to our mild winter.

    Last edited: 13 July 2016 22:21:52

  • BerkleyBerkley Posts: 431

    Many thanks for all your ideas. I can't see any sign of caterpillars but have trimmed back, sprayed, removed some soil and fed. I do hope they will survive ...... Just thinking ahead .... What do people think about preventative spraying? Would it be worth considering?

  • Looks like the same problem I have with my poor old sweet pea.image

    Last edited: 14 July 2016 21:49:51

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