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White spots on my plants

chofischofis Posts: 3
in Problem solving

My basil, mint, lavender and rosemary have these white spots.

I checked and I don't see any bugs on the leaves or under them. I read somewhere that they can be burn spots if the plants are watered in the hot sun. 

Help please! Don't know what to do and if I can eat my herbs or not.

Thanks!image

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Posts

  • chofischofis Posts: 3

    image The new mint leaves have some spots too

  • chofischofis Posts: 3

    imageLavender

  • kcstout93kcstout93 Posts: 1
    edited May 2018
    did you ever figure out what is wrong with the basil and the lavender? I have similar problems and my lavender flowers are really faded - 

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I have it too.
  • Zahramousavi001Zahramousavi001 Posts: 1
    I have the same problem. Anyone can help?
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384
    Looks like spidermite damage.  They are too small for most folk to see without using a lens.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Mine get it too and do every year for many years.
    Oregano, thyme and rosemary are affected in planters. Those in the garden are not affected.
    I did think spider mite too as it does look like mite damage, but there are none. I've checked with a scope many times over the years and found nothing.
    What I do see frequently are mint moths on all affected plants, so that's where my suspicion lies, but more than that I don't know.
    I can see no live bugs anywhere on the affected leaves
    I'm sure you can eat your herbs without concern

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384
    Could be a few things really which would all have similar symptoms, so each of the plants in the photos above might have different causes but all are probably caused by very small sap-sucking insects of some kind.  Thrips are good at hiding and have good eyesight so hide as soon as anything moves nearby.  Aphids can come and go rapidly leaving only damage.  There are also some tiny leaf miners.  As Pete says, I would use any and all of them without a second thought (unless you've resorted to some kind of bug spray in which case they would go in the council black waste bag!)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    In one planter I have 2 types of oregano (the small one with pink flowers has no marks whatsoever) and thyme which both have






    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    The photos you posted Pete8 looks like Thrips damage to me. As BobTheGardener states, they are not easy to spot at all. I have similar issues too, especially in the spring time, and so far never managed to see anything. I would cut the plants down and scrape the top layer of the soil surrounding the plants and re-lay new top layer of soil.
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