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What is eating my Sweet Peas?
Peter J
Posts: 13
Hi,
I have holes in my sweet pea leaves. Someone mentioned maybe it is caterpillars, but I can see no sign.
I enclose a photo. Any help most welcome.
Peter
0
Posts
Looks line slugs or snails to me, that's looks like stupid iPAD grrrrr!
Thanks, but would slugs eat the middle of the leaf? Sorry don't understand the iPad comment?
Looks like leaf miner to me. Quite common on sweet peas. It's the larvae of beetles o r flies which burrow inside the leaf. I think you can use a chemical deterrent- I just leave them as it doesn't usually affect more than a few leaves and I pick those off. Most sturdy, strong plants won't really come to any harm, in my experience anyway.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The iPAD decides what I am trying to type
If the holes are irregular, they are probably caused by snails and slugs. Yes, they really go after sweet peas; especially when the plants are young. Not so much after, but they will get the lower leaves. If it is leaf miners, you could spray with soap and bicarbonate of soda; but wash the leaves after and do this in the morning when the plants have time to dry off; otherwise you could get mould and mildew.