PATCH PROBLEMS
what’s eating m
T
here are plenty of chewing insects doing the rounds over summer, and some of them have their eyes on eggplants. What’s the problem with that? A few nibbles are okay, but when there are more holes than leaf, the leaves will fail and the plants will struggle, so you’ll get fewer eggplants. If your leaves are dotted with small holes, this species of flea beetle (below) is the likely cause. Look closely to find these tiny insects which have a dark blue met
Don’t be fooled by their size; they have a voracious appetite, and breed like fleas. They also jump like fleas when you try to catch and squash them. And what about those cute ladybirds? If they are orange with 28 black spots (a rough count will do), they are also leaf chewers. Under the leaf, you’re likely to see their creamy-coloured larvae having a feast as well. That’s when you know you’re in real trouble. Squash what you can, or flick them into a small container of water to drown. sshoppers, which appear numbers in summer, have a taste for eggplant age, too. There’s nothing ubtle about the way they eed either: they chew big hunks out of the leaves. The best time to catch hem is in the morning hen they are sleepy. the thought of catching uashing insects makes mish, cover your plants with a finely woven pest-exclusion net. It’ll keep all these critters out. Of course, the bees will be excluded, too. While bees do assist with pollination, eggplants are self-pollinating, so you should still get fruit. If production is poor, lift the net every few days and dab the centre of the flowers with a soft artist’s brush to pollinate them. Problems in your patch? Write to Phil at experts@gardeningaustralia.com.au
68 J A N U A R Y 2 02 2 G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A
asian greens basil beans (french, climbing) beans (snake) beetroot broccoli brussels sprouts cabbage capsicum/chilli carrot cauliflower chives cucumber eggplant kale kohlrabi leek lettuce melon okra parsnip pumpkin radish silverbeet spring onion swede sweetcorn sweet potato tomato turnip zucchini/squash
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KEY
tropical subtropical arid/semi-arid warm temperate cold temperate
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PHOTOS ISTOCK, PHIL DUDMAN
EGGPLAN
