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Holes in Iris Leaves?!

DrumelzierDrumelzier Posts: 42
edited April 2022 in Problem solving
Help!  Anyone know the cause? How to tackle??! Not affecting all of them YET.
I've just been (9.00pm) out to see if it was slugs - only found one.  Nightmare! Thank you for any help.

Posts

  • WoodgreenWoodgreen Posts: 1,273
    It is slug and/or snail damage. Keep up the searching, they should be easy to see as the irises are well spaced apart. Check down the edges of the bed, this is a likely hiding place for them.
  • DrumelzierDrumelzier Posts: 42
    Woodgreen said:
    It is slug and/or snail damage. Keep up the searching, they should be easy to see as the irises are well spaced apart. Check down the edges of the bed, this is a likely hiding place for them.
    Ah, ok - I will get out with the torch and my squidging gloves later in the dark. I may even try garlic infused water… I read somewhere recently that they hate that! Thank you! 
  • Lena_vs_DeerLena_vs_Deer Posts: 203
    Definitely snails as @Woodgreen said. I made an edging line from bricks between lawn and iris bed last year and brought some baby snails on that brick apparently from damp location brick was stored :( My Iris leaves looked like Swiss cheese … 

    It gotten really bad and even pellets were not helping so I decided to sacrifice blooms for the year in that location. Pulled irises out from the ground and moved to pots filled with soil from a differed spot in the garden. Cut damaged leaves and let new ones re-grow by September. Left snail infested spot be for the summer and watched birds pick on something there, so I assumed lots of snails were eaten and the rest moved somewhere else. Fingers crossed this year there won’t be a bunch of snail eggs in a same spot 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Slugs and snails are very fond of Iris foliage unfortunately. It's a pain, because it's so visible with the habit of the foliage. 
    The problem with the garlic is that it just gets washed off regularly, so you'd be forever doing it, although it might be worth trying. 
    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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