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's not confirmed how the virus is spread, but sap-sucking insects, nematodes and gardening tools, such as pruning knives, are likely contenders.Canna leaves develop pale spots and streaks, as well as a distorted, crinkly look, while flowers may also become

flower buds might never open, or do so unevenly.When disturbed, the bugs quickly drop to the ground or fly away, so you'll have to be quick if you want to catch and squish them. Remove their hiding places by keeping the area under plants free of debris

Earwigs, which can be up to 14mm long, hide during the day and emerge at night to feed. The females lay eggs in late-winter, usually in the soil, which hatch in spring. Although earwigs can damage plants, they also eat small pests and their eggs, including aphids and codling moth...

Adult and immature leafhoppers suck sap from the leaves of plants and cause mottled discolouration. The 3mm-long adults readily spring from the leaves when disturbed. The pest usually overwinters as eggs laid on the plant. These hatch in spring and go on to produce several genera...

.Promptly pick off and destroy affected leaves. If leaf spot is a persistent problem, try growing your primulas under glass.Spraying with myclobutanil may help give some control, although they're not specifically labelled as a solution for primula leaf spot

of these are available as biological controls, however, they need time to tackle the problem, so don't expect them to hoover up the aphids overnight. Small clusters of aphids can be squished with your fingers or washed off with a strong jet of water. Insecticidal soap

The large, beautiful caterpillar larvae of the elephant hawk moth has two pairs of eye markings, which are made even more prominent when it withdraws its head into its body. They are, typically, a blackish-brown colour but are sometimes green, and though their 'eyes' make them lo...

The distortion, known as fasciation, is a freak of nature, and often looks like several stems have been fused together. It's a rare phenomenon and does the plant no lasting harm. It can develop on a range of shrubs, flowers and perennials. The cause