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  • #1

    Leaf miner hell!

    I am new to gardening in the UK and am having a chronic problem with what I think is beet leaf miner. It started in the chard then spread to the spinach. I pulled out and disposed of those crops, but now it is attacking the radishes and even the sorrel!

    I'm a bit mystified as most books and websites seem to suggest that these critters are not much of a problem and can be managed by picking off the affected leaves and/or scraping off the eggs. I don't see how this is possible as with the spinach and chard the infestation was so bad there were eggs/maggots on virtually every leaf - on some occasions I was doing a sweep in the morning and by the evening there were just as many. I know covering the crops with mesh is an option but I don't want to do this as I've put a lot of time and care into creating a potager-style garden and I find the mesh unattractive.

    Any suggestions gratefully received.
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  • #2
    Leaf miner shouldn't adversely affect your radish crop. Pick off the infested leaves, and more will grow
    All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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    • #3
      Did you find a solution?

      Originally posted by TrixC View Post
      I am new to gardening in the UK and am having a chronic problem with what I think is beet leaf miner. It started in the chard then spread to the spinach. I pulled out and disposed of those crops, but now it is attacking the radishes and even the sorrel!

      I'm a bit mystified as most books and websites seem to suggest that these critters are not much of a problem and can be managed by picking off the affected leaves and/or scraping off the eggs. I don't see how this is possible as with the spinach and chard the infestation was so bad there were eggs/maggots on virtually every leaf - on some occasions I was doing a sweep in the morning and by the evening there were just as many. I know covering the crops with mesh is an option but I don't want to do this as I've put a lot of time and care into creating a potager-style garden and I find the mesh unattractive.

      Any suggestions gratefully received.
      I have had exactly the same problem - perfect spinach for several years and then planted chard which was rendered useless by leaf-miner, which then spread to the spinach and even after planting in pots this year and keeping them at the back door, far away from the veg patch, I have been picking off most of the new green leaves daily due to leaf-miner eggs.

      Did anything work?

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post
        Leaf miner shouldn't adversely affect your radish crop. Pick off the infested leaves, and more will grow
        Yes, I have had it on my beetroot crop for several years running. I just pick and dispose of the leaves affected. The crop is usually o.k

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        • #5
          Just discarded half my spinach bed :-( thought it was weevils as I found a couple after much rummaging around, but certain leaf miner from online pictures of the damage and larvae. I'm going to grow tansy and see if a tea made from the leaves keeps them off next year. Had masses of sawfly larvae on the red currants too, not doing too well I the garden this week!

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