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Horse Chestnut
Lulu The Lurcher
Posts: 258
The horse chestnut tree at the bottom of the garden isn't looking too clever. Any ideas as to what the problem could be?
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Posts
It's a moth species (horse chestnut leaf-miner) causing the trouble - the caterpillar chews in between the layers of the leaf. Have a close look under a magnifying glass, it's amazing that anything could get in the 'gap'! Been a big problem over the last few years. Trees carry on next year as normal, but it can't be good for them and there is evidence to say it's now weakening the trees which are affected, which it would,wouldn't it?!
H-C
Yes, I've been keeping an eye on horse chestnut trees along my route to work for the last few years and every single one has the leaf miner and look terrible at this time of the year. I too suspect they must eventually weaken the trees.
Take a look at the Forestry Commission webpage on the subject of horse chestnut leaf miner
www.forestry.gov.uk/horsechestnutleafminer
Makes for interesting reading!
The article would imply that there's hope - the cleaning up of the leaves and composting them properly so the larvae are destroyed or the adults don't emerge from pupae the following year. Take a huge concerted effort, by garden owners and councils alike.
H-C
Thanks chaps, very interesting reading indeed...