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Neem oil and Leaf Miners - any other advice?

rebeccamM6CA_Gn6rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 Posts: 133
in Problem solving
Hey all.
Just realised that my Shasta Daisy has huge outbreak of leaf miners.  Have seen that Neem oil is a safe bet organically speaking, but any other tips? I'm a bit worried that this large outbreak is now spreading to many other plants (it's in the centre of a large herbaceous bed) and I really want to get rid of it as fast as possible. 
Thanks in advance.

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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I just squeeze the foliage - I get them on the sweet peas. 
    Other than that, I just pick damaged leaves off. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • rebeccamM6CA_Gn6rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 Posts: 133
    Thanks for the advice @Fairygirl! Since it't quite a large bush not a huge fan of it really but my garden is rented), I think that I may opt to remove the badly affected areas then, whilst waiting for the neem oil to arrive in the post. Had no idea about squeezing - good tip - sorry to ask, but you mean a very hard press between the fingers right? I could perhaps squeeze the remaining leaves that remain after my cut back cull later today...
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They burrow inside the two layers of the leaf, hence the damage [and the name!] so squeezing at the first sight of them can help  stop more damage. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • rebeccamM6CA_Gn6rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 Posts: 133
    okay thanks @Fairygirl - I will try that then for the lesser affected leaves that I leave in place, as it looks like today might involve quite a cull as the bush is really quite sorry for it self :(

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Some plants will be more susceptible, especially if they're a bit stressed.
    I never have them anywhere but the sweet peas. The bottom foliage on those always looks manky after a couple of months anyway. I just stick something else in front of them to hide it  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I had beet leaf miners on my young beetroot this year - very damaging when they are young.  Squashed them inside the leaves as @Fairygirl recommends.  I think Neem oil only works in direct contact or as a repellent and doubt it would have any effect at all on leaf miners of any type, but it could possibly have some protective effect by putting off the adult fly from laying more eggs.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • rebeccamM6CA_Gn6rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 Posts: 133
    Thanks to you both @Fairygirl @BobTheGardener - the Shanta daisy is very old I think and was just covered in black fly aphids and miners. Almost no green leaves left and stem totally drowning in gunk. I think it was indeed weak, so have pulled it all out in a major session just now. For the rest of the garden just around it I have decided to go on with the squeezing method (my poor Dahlia’s and poppies!) as I think I have luckily caught these just in time with only a few bits of tell tale damage. Online it said that neem can work but over a longer period as it damages their life cycle. Apparently it helps a bit but as you say won’t solve fully or immediately. Still I feel like neem oil might be good also for any mildew matters so worth the 15£. 😅
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I would agree with @BobTheGardener that the oil works mainly because it seals off the leaves, and prevents access.
    Once you have them, I think you're fighting a losing battle to a certain extent, unless you spend hours attending to it. I'm afraid I'm too lazy to do that!

    Having good general husbandry with plants is a big factor in keeping all sorts of pests and diseases at bay too.
    It's why I try not to overfeed plants as we'd get a lot of very soft growth with our climate here, and that's an open invitation to the restaurant. 
    I do like my sweet peas though ;)

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I have a bottle too and have tried it on powdery mildew on various cucurbits and it did seem to at least slow down the progress of the disease.  To be fair, I don't have a great deal of pest or disease problems in the garden these days;  For the last decade or so, I've been trying to garden in a way which is more in balance with nature and it seems to be working! :)  I'm a great believer in feeding the soil, not the plant (unless in containers) and use large amounts of well-rotted manure which I would say has made the biggest difference overall.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    That's my general method too @BobTheGardener.  :)
    I had to create a garden here from compacted grass, slabs and gravel with clay soil. All sorts underneath too. Manure is the magic ingredient.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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