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Dahlia nibbling!
Jenniferann
Posts: 31
i have a lovely dark pink dahlia which should have white edges to its flowers, but something is just nibbling the white edges of the petals, leaving the dark areas!
i can't see anything on the plant at all that might be doing this, and none of my other dahlias have this problem. I'll post a photo tomorrow when it's daylight.
Any ideas please?
Last edited: 08 August 2017 21:13:37
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Well I did wonder about earwigs Mike, but I can't see any at all, and why would they just choose this particular one? I've got lots more but thankfully they don't seem to like them!
This is one that has its white edges but as you can see something has started on the bottom ones already. The one at the top has had them all eaten.
You won't see them in the day. Put a cane in the ground among the dahlia stems and secure a plant pot on it, upside down and stuffed with straw or dried grass. Check it in the morning. I bet you find plenty of little nibblers.
I will do that, thank you all for your help!
Do earwigs also eat the leaves, or is that down to slugs and snails?
I don't know. Slugs and snails do such a good job there probably isn't much left for anyone else!
Normally just the petals KT. Clematis is a particular favourite
Last edited: 10 August 2017 08:57:26
In my garden they do huge damage to the leaves as well on dahlias. Sunflowers and clematis they love damp conditions so thrive in the north east if I go out at night with a torch they will be hundreds on a dahlia
I was just going to come on and post a new thread on this and ask the same question as I have numerous dahlias this year and found that something has been eating the white tips off my duets and was begining to get frustrated as to what could be eating these and why only the white tips. The nibbling always stops as soon as it reaches the red part of the petals. I find this curious as to why the insect will not eat the red part.
I was also finding this with my potted primroses as well, only the outer colour of the petals were eating leaving the 2nd inner colour alone.
I have now sprayed and the new blooms are untouched, well for the moment any way.
Earwigs are normally regarded as beneficial insects, so spraying them, will likely to do more harm than good.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border