What Did You Do In The Garden?

[ninnymary]

Steve, mine is so bad that if I removed the leaves there wouldn't be any left! Some of the plants looked like they were dying.

Do you know anything or remedy that can get rid of it?

Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

Mary I don't know of any chemical control that works on something you want to eat. They are too well protected inside that leaf. Even Orkin says spraying them with a pesticide will probably do more harm than good as it destroys the bugs that eat them. Row covers could keep the bugs that lay the eggs from laying eggs on your plants.

The only thing I know to do is pick off infected leaves and send them to the dump. Do not compost of just toss them on the ground, they will complete their life cycle and re-infest. So maybe strip off all infected leaves, even if it is practically all of them new leaves should grow back. And use a cover to keep fresh eggs away.

 

[digitS']

The U of Minnesota says just about what Ridge' says:

"Use of pesticides prevents adults from laying eggs, but does not kill larvae that are already feeding within plant leaves. Choose a low impact pesticide that does not target natural enemies (such as parasitic wasps) and pollinators (such as bees)." LINK

The adult spinach miner on that page looks about like any fly ... Maybe, you can keep them off the plants but being preemptive and spraying would be difficult.

Spinach, especially, if really difficult for me. The sudden change from spring coolness to summer heat encourages them to bolt. Hey! Orache doesn't seem to have a leaf miner problem.

He, He ... just thought of a joke I saw in a linguist's post ...

A miner driving to work in a car is stopped by the police.

Police: Whose vehicle is this, sir?
Miner: Mine

Police: Where are you headed?
Miner: Mine

Police: What do you do?
Miner: Mine

he he !

Steve
forgive me

 

[flowerbug]

Steve, mine is so bad that if I removed the leaves there wouldn't be any left! Some of the plants looked like they were dying.

Do you know anything or remedy that can get rid of it?

Mary

the wiki article didn't say anything about how the eggs/young show up on a plant or how many generations there might be a season.

fine netting cover is about the best way to keep them off specific plants.

decoy plantings and finding the other plant hosts in the area and watching/removing infected leaves may help reduce the pressure on your garden (note MAY ).

i don't see those here, but then i haven't grown much chard/spinach the past few years.

 

[Zeedman]

I had leaf miners in a previous garden; they only seemed to be attracted to beets & chard. Fortunately they haven't been a problem where I garden now; when I see them at all, they are usually on the weeds. There is a really good beneficial insect population here, maybe they have been controlling them without me noticing. Frustrating to deal with, when their damage reaches a certain threshold.

The garden finally dried out enough where I wanted to plant, so got my garlic in today... about 400 cloves total, 18 varieties. That (finally) closes out gardening for the year. All that remains is to clean the garden (if weather allows, or in Spring if not) and to clean, sort, and store the seed.

Just about time to start planning for 2019...

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I have a little lettuce still growing, Swiss chard, and some greens I planted really late, Turnip Topper and Holland Greens. They are not big, but getting a little. Still have collards and kale out in the garden. I am trying to get the garden cleaned up. I have been very busy with my job and extra time I have been sewing a little and playing with the baby. I moved somethings to the compost bin, raked some leaves, but so many, and getting ready to make baby food out of the butternut squash.

 

[catjac1975]

I think to store them they need to be cured really well. I don't know how critical 75 degrees is but warm and with decent air circulation works for me. I probably cure mine at least three weeks out of the sun and in the dry. I made a frame out of 1/2" hardware cloth and 2x4's that I dry them and other things like onions on. I also use this frame to sift compost. These are Beauregards curing in my workshop sitting on 2x4's to get air circulation underneath.

View attachment 28794

I used to get plants from Steele's in Tennessee and was happy with the but started to sprout my own.

I stored them in my attached garage. If they ever freeze you've lost them, they rot. The coldest it got in that garage was probably the upper 50's with the 60's more common in winter. When the weather warmed up probably the upper 70's maybe lower 80's. We'd still be eating them the following April or May before they went bad. I think they store better kind of cool but not to cold and definitely dry.

This is one thing I will not be able to grow after the move. The climate is great but the backyard is way too small.

Curing has been my biggest hurdle. This year I washed them annd then dried them on a wired frame for a few days in a cool shed. I then put them in bags made of netting like onion bags. I bought they very cheaply on amazon. They are hanging in my greenhouse and seem to be keeping well.

 

[ninnymary]

Mary I don't know of any chemical control that works on something you want to eat. They are too well protected inside that leaf. Even Orkin says spraying them with a pesticide will probably do more harm than good as it destroys the bugs that eat them. Row covers could keep the bugs that lay the eggs from laying eggs on your plants.

The only thing I know to do is pick off infected leaves and send them to the dump. Do not compost of just toss them on the ground, they will complete their life cycle and re-infest. So maybe strip off all infected leaves, even if it is practically all of them new leaves should grow back. And use a cover to keep fresh eggs away.

What kind of bug causes leaf miner? Is it a type of moth? We have these pretty white butterflies but I don't know what harm if any they may cause.

Would the row cover provide too much shade? Does it have to be on 24/7? It seems like as soon as the leafs start coming out that they get the stuff.

Last spring I was able to grow some beets. The got the stuff but not too badly. I figured the fall crop might be better cause of cooler weather but I guess not.

I need to plant some swiss chard to see if that one is perhaps better in the fall. Between beets and swiss chard, I really wish I could get some nice swiss chard.

Mary

 

[digitS']

Mary, those pretty white butterflies are probably cabbage moths and the parents of cabbage caterpillars.

What kind of bug causes leaf miner? Is it a type of moth? We have these pretty white butterflies but I don't know what harm if any they may cause.

Click that link to see the bugs - "flies," as I was calling them.

"Use of pesticides prevents adults from laying eggs, but does not kill larvae that are already feeding within plant leaves. Choose a low impact pesticide that does not target natural enemies (such as parasitic wasps) and pollinators (such as bees)." LINK

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Mary, those pretty white butterflies are probably cabbage moths and the parents of cabbage caterpillars.



Click that link to see the bugs - "flies," as I was calling them.



Steve

Thank you so much Steve. Didn’t know it was a fly. Sounds rather hopeless.

Mary