Hole-y Eggplant Leaves, Batman

aliciazim on 6/7/2010, 4:23 pm

Something is eating large holes in my ichiban eggplant leaves! Some holes are the size of a pencil eraser, and some are bigger than that. I looked on the leaves for bugs, but nothing was actually on the leaves. I did, however, see some very small, shiny green flies landing on them (and my cuke leaves too).

I don't know if those green flies are the culprits or not. No matter. I need to FIX it!

Anyone in the Western New York area who knows how to protect my plant leaves??? (I'm assuming that plant pests are area-specific, but I may be wrong.)

Thanks!!

camprn on 6/7/2010, 4:40 pm

Go to your garden at night with a flashlight and check, I don't know, it may be slugs.

aliciazim on 6/7/2010, 4:48 pm

What's a slug? Like a snail? I've seen those under the raised SFGs and on other stuff in the yard. Are they specifically nighttime eaters??

quiltbea on 6/7/2010, 5:22 pm

Slugs are snails without shells.
They eat at nite and can devastate a plant.
Go out at nite with a flashlight and pick them off by hand or bury a tuna fish can filled with beer almost up to the rim. The slugs love the smell and will fall in and drown.
You can also put a couple of wooden boards down in your garden. The slugs will go under them for shelter when sunlight comes and you just have to pick up the board and pick those slugs up and drown them in a cup of soapy water.

dmpower on 6/7/2010, 6:10 pm

Also check for flea beetles. They like to make lace-work out of eggplant leaves. They are tiny and black and will jump if disturbed. Much of the time you won't see them right away.

aliciazim on 6/8/2010, 6:28 am

How do I get rid of the flea beetles if I indeed have those?

I must say that I don't like all the pest maintenance.

Why can't those pest devour all the grassy loveliness in the fields behind my house?? There's PLENTY of stuff there to eat! Sheesh.

dmpower on 6/8/2010, 10:47 am

I am trying DE, diatomacious earth, with sporadic success. If you want them to eat something else green, plant some mustard greens close by, apparently that is the only thing they like better than eggplant. I love my mustard greens, so I haven't sacrificed it yet, but soon . . .

aliciazim on 6/8/2010, 10:49 am

will have to try that next year!

Hole-y Eggplant Leaves, Batman

Hole-y Eggplant Leaves, Batman

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